A MAN who escaped police custody at Withybush Hospital claimed he thought he was entitled to flee because he said he hadn’t committed the offences which led to his arrest.

Ashley Rickard, 26, of Elizabeth Court in Pembroke Dock, was arrested at his grandmother’s home by the police on December 4 on suspicion of a series of offences including causing criminal damage and making threats to kill.

He told officers that he had ingested something – which the court was told was thought to have been Valium – and was taken to Withybush Hospital.

Rickard was handcuffed to the cage in the police van at the hospital, and was escorted by two officers when he needed to go inside, prosecutor Georgia Donohue said.

He was seen by doctors at around 8.45pm, and was soon given the all-clear to be taken to the police station.

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Two officers flanked Rickard as they walked him out towards the police van, but along the way he managed to free one of his hands from his handcuffs. He then bolted as they went through the hospital doors.

Rickard fled across the car park and over a road, heading in to the nearby housing estate. The officers attempted to find him on foot before returning to their vehicle to continue the search. However they were unable to find him.

The following day, Rickard was arrested after being found hiding down the side of the bed at his grandmother’s home, Ms Donohue said.

She told the court that Rickard was “at large” for around 11 hours.

The defendant gave a prepared statement relating to the other offences in interview – not touching on his escape – and answered no comment to the majority of questions asked.

He had 11 previous convictions for 18 offences.

Rickard was due to face a trial after pleading not guilty to burglary relating to allegations of a mobile phone being taken in a break-in on Augustine Way in Haverfordwest on August 23, threatening to kill a man on December 4, causing criminal damage to a Ring doorbell on that same date, escaping lawful custody and theft of a pair of police handcuffs.

However, on the day of trial, Rickard pleaded guilty to the escape charge. Ms Donohue said this plea was acceptable as the witnesses for the other offences were not supportive of the prosecution.

Harry Dickens, in mitigation, acknowledged that the defendant’s criminal record was “unsavoury”.

He said that Rickard’s perception of lawful custody had been the sticking point, adding that he believed he was entitled to escape “on the basis he hadn’t committed the offences of which he’d been charged”.

“If everyone did that there would be chaos,” said Judge Paul Thomas KC.

“Anarchy would ensue.”

Mr Dickens said that it “wasn’t a sophisticated attempt” to escape, as the defendant had not involved anyone else and had returned to his grandmother’s home.

Rickard was jailed for 27 weeks.

The prosecution offered no evidence on the remaining charges, and formal not guilty verdicts were entered.