Escaped teen who sparked helicopter search is sentenced

An Edinburgh teen who escaped custody - sparking an extensive four-hour search involving dozens of officers and a force helicopter, has been sentenced today.

Conlon Carr escaped police custody, sparking an extensive four-hour search. Pictures: TSPL/Police handout

At around 11:35am on 12 December last year, Conlon Carr was at St Leonards Police Station when he pushed a security guard out of the way and managed to break free of his restraints.

Carr, 20, was in Edinburgh to take part in an identity parade. He had been transferred there that morning from Polmont Young Offenders Institute where he was being held on remand.

He was due to return to Polmont in the afternoon.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Carr, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was being taken out of the back door of the police station to a G4S security van when he spotted an opportunity to evade his captors.

“The accused was asked to step up into the van “ said prosecutor Lorna Ferrier. “He put his right foot on the bottom step and grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. He nudged the officer out of the way, forced his right hand free of the cuffs and ran away.”

The Edinburgh teen made a run for it in the direction of Holyrood Park. His escape prompted a major police search, involving up to eighty officers and a force helicopter.

Mr Carr was eventually found by officers at 2:20pm - around four hours after his ill-considered escape.

Carr was sentenced to a year’s detention today after previously admitting intending to defeat the ends of justice through his actions on 12 December.

His defence solicitor, David Allan, told the court that his client’s actions had been “impulsive and extremely stupid”.