A man was seen escaping from the paddy wagon outside Taupō District Court this morning.
One man has been arrested after escaping custody at Taupō District Court this morning.
The man swam through part of Lake Taupō trying to evade police.
According to a police statement, the man was arrested after fleeing a locked courtyard at about 11am.
“However, [he] was soon arrested after swimming a small portion of the lake and attempting to evade police through a nearby property,” police said.
“He received medical attention for minor injuries sustained from climbing a fence.”
One woman, who spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity, said she witnessed the escape.
“We saw two guys sprint from the [direction of the] paddy van. They kept looking back to see if someone was chasing them.”
The woman said it was a “good 10 to 15 seconds” before the men were pursued.
“They were long gone,” she said.
A police spokesperson later confirmed there was only one escapee.
The woman said escapes from the courthouse were “getting out of hand”.
“I think people should be more aware. Who knows what they’re in there for? And there’s a lot of houses around the area.”
She said there should be more officers around to manage the inmates.
“A couple of weeks ago one man escaped and was on the run for 48 hours.”
The woman was referring to the escape of Samir Derek Belhajjam, who fled a police transport vehicle at Taupō District Court in January.
Belhajjam was being transported back to prison after a court appearance when he evaded his police escort.
He turned himself in after 48 hours.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
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