A man who made a brief dash for freedom and broke out of the Whangarei District Court was under close scrutiny when he appeared in court again.
Sharaz Sion Young, 29, of Whangarei, had his hands cuffed in front of him and was flanked by two police officers as he stood in the dock before Judge Murray Hunt yesterday. He appeared on one charge of escaping from lawful custody. Young allegedly smashed a thick sheet of plyboard above an interview room in the courthouse, crawled into the ceiling space before breaking a gib panel to get down about 2pm on Tuesday.
The interview room has a metal partition and is used by lawyers and prisoners. Young climbed down on the lawyers' side of the room and allegedly kicked open two security doors used by court staff before escaping.
However, his dash for freedom did not last long as he was found on Kauika Rd and arrested about 4pm.
Young entered no plea and was remanded in custody and will appear in the Whangarei District Court on October 9.
