A Tasmanian man who fled from the Hobart Magistrates Court, sparking an 11-day manhunt, has been sentenced to six months in prison.
Bodie Kane Savage, 30, from Clarendon Vale, ran from court on September 28, 2022, shortly after being sentenced to prison for other charges.
The court heard Savage jumped over an enclosed area inside the courtroom but was still able to exit the building, despite being tackled by security.
In sentencing, Magistrate Andrew McKee said, "the escape can be best described as a spontaneous decision you made when you realised you would be taken into custody".
"Having a prisoner at large whilst sentenced or about to be sentenced does cause concern to members of the public," he said.
The escape sparked a large-scale police hunt across the Hobart waterfront and CBD, involving dozens of officers, the rescue helicopter and police boats.
Police said Savage went straight to the waterfront but disappeared into a building to make his escape, evading capture for 11 days.
His lawyer Caroline Graves previously told the ABC that Savage telephoned police to say he wanted to hand himself in and was arrested at an address in Clarendon Vale without incident.
Savage pleaded guilty to a charge of escape and four charges of stealing.
The court heard Savage stole more than $5,200 of property over several months in 2020 to fund a drug habit, with items including a $500 electric toothbrush from Priceline, $2,999 worth of jackets from Kathmandu, $1,500 worth of driving lights from Autobarn and a $169 pry bar set and gloves from Repco.
Magistrate McKee sentenced Savage to 28 weeks of further imprisonment but he will be eligible for parole after serving 14 weeks of the sentence.
