ONE of two young men that slipped their handcuffs at the gates of Limerick Prison while in garda custody, was last week found sitting at the back of Limerick Circuit Court waiting for his case to be called two days after his daring escape. 18-year-old Christopher Curtin, with an address at Salvia Court, took refuge at the back of the Circuit Court minutes before the lunchtime adjournment when gardai spotted him and alerted the warrant squad to arrest him. Curtin, wearing a hoody and sunglasses, having taken a seat in the gallery next to family members, was arrested and removed from the court and brought under garda escort back to prison where he had been on remand in connection with another matter. He had returned to court for sentencing in connection with breaking into a pub in county Limerick last year.
Moments later when his case was called, Pat Whims, defence counsel, addressed the court to say that his client was present up to a few minutes beforehand.
“In fact, he was arrested within the courtroom in the last five minutes but the prison officers are making arrangements to have him brought back in the afternoon”.
Curtin and his accomplice made their daring escape from the gates of the prison last week, and the second man remains at large.
Mr Whims said that his client returned to court knowing that he was going to be arrested and added that between the court and the prison last Wednesday, his client “absconded from custody”.
Later that afternoon, Curtin was returned to the Circuit Court and in the matter for sentencing before the court, Judge Carroll Moran heard that the accused and two accomplices broke into Herbert’s Pub at Sallymount, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, shortly after midnight on May 5, 2011.
The court previously heard that solicitor and publican Turlough Herbert, along with his sister, were confronted by the burglars in the residential part of the premises.
Mr Herbert suffered a bite to the hand after the burglars, armed with a scissors and a knife, became involved in a struggle.
Curtin, the court was told, ran from the premises having jumped through an open window after being confronted by the owners.
A probation report had been furnished to the court and it was said to have contained “mixed findings” .
Judge Carroll Moran sentenced the accused to two years in prison for his part in the burglary.