CCTV footage released by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service shows convicted rapist Aaron Strachan, 21, making a run for it while being led towards a waiting prison van outside the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
In the brief clip, Strachan is seen exiting the court building accompanied by two security officers. He is handcuffed to an officer walking ahead, while another follows behind. As the group approaches the van, with doors open just metres from the entrance, Strachan yanks his hand free from the cuffs and sprints away.
Pursuit and Recapture
The guard leading the chase loses balance and stumbles, giving Strachan precious seconds. He runs towards the Royal Mile before disappearing from view. A major police search involving traffic police, armed officers, and others was launched, and Strachan was traced and apprehended soon afterwards.
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, Strachan's lawyer Simon Collins described the escape attempt as "a moment of impulsiveness" after Strachan noticed the cuffs were "not tight enough to prevent him from removing his hand".
