David O'Toole, a 40-year-old fugitive with no fixed address, was sentenced to nine months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after a series of crimes including animal cruelty, drug smuggling, and escaping custody. O'Toole had been on the run for nine months after fleeing from the back of a police car in Wirral, Merseyside, in July 2025.
Escape from Police Custody
On July 15, 2025, Merseyside Police responded to a crash on St Peter's Way in Noctorum, Wirral, where they found O'Toole and his passenger slumped over in a red car. O'Toole admitted taking diazepam and was arrested on suspicion of drug driving. While in the back of a police car, officers discovered zopiclone and diazepam in his black shoulder bag. O'Toole then pulled away from officers, ran towards Noctorum Avenue, climbed over a bin and fence, and escaped through rear gardens. He was eventually located on April 23, 2026, at Henllys Farm Touring and Camping in Towyn, North Wales.
Animal Cruelty and Drug Smuggling
In May 2016, O'Toole was jailed for 20 weeks after setting his dog on his then-girlfriend's pet tortoise. He sent her sick videos of the attack, shouting 'go on, get him' as the dog bit chunks from the tortoise's shell. The victim was forced to give the tortoise to a rescue centre due to veterinary costs. Weeks before that sentencing, in April 2016, O'Toole was caught smuggling 15kg of cannabis worth £150,000 through Edinburgh Airport from Barcelona. He initially claimed he was 'set up' but later admitted he agreed to bring the drugs to repay a debt, receiving a 30-month sentence in March 2017.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
O'Toole admitted escaping from lawful custody and possession of zopiclone and diazepam. Prosecutor Jonathan Keane noted the escape was not sophisticated but resulted in a nine-month period at large. Defence lawyer John Weate said the escape was spontaneous and O'Toole was optimistic about the future, having been clean in custody. Judge Garrett Byrne highlighted that O'Toole was subject to a suspended sentence at the time and had an extensive criminal record, with 14 prior convictions for 26 offences. He sentenced O'Toole to nine months, noting no violence was used but significant disruption to railways occurred during the escape.
