A teenage boy jumped out of a window and escaped after police turned up at his mother's home to arrest him. He asked police if he could go to the toilet before making a quick escape and evading arrest for 10 hours.
Background and arrest warrant
Lucca Sherman, 19, had been made subject to a suspended sentence of 21 months' detention in a young offenders' institute in March after he was convicted of possessing a knife and drug offences. But the defendant breached the suspended sentence order and a warrant was executed for his arrest.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday heard two police officers attended Sherman's mother's home in Penarth on April 30 but upon entering the address, the defendant became agitated and upset.
Escape and capture
Prosecutor Rob Simkins said attempts were made to handcuff the teenager but he pulled away from them and ran upstairs, saying "F*** this s***" and "Are you f****** joking?". The officers went upstairs as Sherman's mother tried to reason with him and told him that she loved him. He asked for her to leave but said the officers could stay to explain the reasons for his arrest.
Further attempts were made to calm the defendant down but when told he was being taken to custody he responded: "If you think you're getting me in that van you'll have to kill me." Matters escalated and he asked to use the toilet before jumping out a window into a neighbouring garden.
The officers pursued Sherman, who ran through the neighbour's house, but they lost sight of him, and despite a search of nearby gardens he could not be found. Mr Simkins said the defendant was later tracked down to his girlfriend's home in Rhoose 10 hours later.
Court outcome
He was taken to Cardiff Bay police station and was interviewed but he largely made no comment. Sherman, of HMP Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody. He was subsequently jailed in order to serve 12 months of the suspended sentence in custody.
In mitigation Derrick Gooden said his client has a number of health issues and a "history of mental instability". Judge Carl Harrison told the defendant that "no one could talk sense into you", and advised him that he was young enough to change his circumstances and not to spend the rest of his life in and out of prison. Sherman was sentenced to three months imprisonment to be served consecutively to the suspended sentence.
