A man fled the dock at Liverpool Crown Court after being jailed and remains at large.
Nicholas Bunclark was handed 16 months behind bars this morning, Tuesday, after being convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. It followed an attack at a hostel on Leyland Road in Southport on November 19 2021.
The ECHO was told that the 30-year-old held his head in his hands after learning his sentence. After a brief interaction with his mum in the public gallery, he was led towards the cells.
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But Bunclark, of St Oswald's Lane in Netherton, is then said to have vaulted the gate out of the unsecured dock. Despite a brief tussle with officers, he managed to escape the courtroom.
A heightened security presence was seen around the courts the aftermath, with the defendant not believed to have left the building. Patrolling guards were also seen keeping watch outside on Derby Square, while several other cases were adjourned as a result of the incident.
It is understood that Bunclark has not yet been apprehended. The Ministry of Justice and Merseyside Police have been approached for comment.
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