A convicted gun thug was found hiding in a garden after fleeing a police escort guarding him in hospital.
Dean Colquhoun had escaped their watch while due to receive treatment for injuries suffered during his arrest.
He was apprehended in a second “violent struggle” with officers.
READ MORE: Jailed in Liverpool: Wicked ex girlfriend, smirking bully and sick scout leader
Colquhoun was wanted by police when an officer spotted him in the back of a taxi on October 27, 2020.
Zahra Baqri, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court : “Upon seeing the police the defendant jumped out of the taxi and pushed one officer onto the road.
“He struggled violently but was eventually detained.”
Police found £4,000 in the taxi and Colquhoun was taken to Aintree Hospital to be assessed for injuries sustained during his arrest.
Ms Baqri said: “Whilst there he was handcuffed and placed under police guard. However, whilst one officer took a telephone call he ran out of the hospital and into a residential garden. He was, however, detained.”
The 26-year-old had been wanted for his role in a burglary committed in Lancashire in January of 2020.
The victim had been woken by the sound of his “high powered” Audi RS3 at around 4am on January 6. He looked out of his bedroom window to see the vehicle - valued in excess of £50,000 when new - being reversed off the drive. A Volvo was also taken in the incident, which saw burglars steal the car keys after breaking in through a patio door.
Colquhoun was caught driving the Audi nine days later.
The vehicle was on false plates and had a sock on the gear-stick to prevent fingerprints being left on it.
The Audi was returned to its owner, who told police it had been damaged to the value of £18,000.
The court heard Colquhoun’s involvement in the burglary was to meet those who carried out close to the scene and ride a motorbike used by one of them back to Liverpool.
In July 2020 police executed a warrant at his home and found almost 90g of cannabis, some of it bagged into street deals, £2,010 and designer watches and shoes.
Colquhoun, of HMP Berwyn but formerly of Waterloo, admitted burglary, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, escape from lawful custody and possession of criminal property. He had been charged with two further burglaries, but the Crown Prosecution Service asked for them to lie on file.
The court today heard he had 10 convictions for 27 offences, including burglary and aggravated vehicle taking.
They also included possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of a firearm without a lawful certificate.
The latter of the offences involved Colquhoun stashing a double barrelled shotgun in a garden after a car crash in Maghull.
Referring to the escape bid, Andrew Jebb, defending, said his client had been captured within 30 minutes.
In relation to the burglary he stressed Colquhoun was not involved in breaking into the victim’s home or taking the vehicles from the drive. He said Colquhoun was driving the car later that month because he had been asked by others to get the tyres changed.
The judge, Recorder David Knifton, QC, explained Colquhoun qualified for a minimum sentence of three years for the burglary due to it being his third offence of that nature.
He told Colquhoun: “You clearly have some way to go in understanding the effect your crimes have on others. If you intend to change your behaviour in the future then you need to spend some time while you are in custody reflecting on the effect your actions have on others.”
Colquhoun was sentenced to a total of four years and one month in jail. Judge Knifton ordered the seized cash to be forfeited to Liverpool-based knife-crime fighting charity Knifesavers.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
