A man who jumped out of a police car and legged it after he had been arrested landed himself in court.

Karl Taylor became agitated with officers after he called to report that his flat was being smashed up and was arrested for a public order offence.

The 32-year-old initially calmed down and was de-arrested before becoming angry and agitated when people came out to see what was happening.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he was re-arrested and placed in the rear of a car without being handcuffed before being driven to the nearby police station.

Cole Cockburn, prosecuting, said Taylor was a fugitive for almost 24-hours before he walked into the police station and handed himself in explaining that he had fled due to his anxiety.

He said: “He was placed in the back of a marked police car and transported to Darlington police station. He was not handcuffed; they had been removed on the condition that he remain calm prior to that he had an outburst due to his anxiety.

“He told them that he was going to give them something to arrest him for, he climbed through the gap in the front two seats before being grabbed by one of the officers.

“He successfully broke free from his grip by shaking his leg and then ran away. One of the officers deployed his Taser twice in an attempt to stop him, neither attempt was effective.”

Taylor, of Victoria Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody. The court heard he was fined for the original public order offence at a lower court.

Amrit Jandoo, mitigating, said his client accepted that he had taken advantage of the situation when the officers trusted him and left the handcuffs off.

“The defendant called the police after his flat was destroyed and part of it had been set fire too,” he said.

“He was initially told to calm down but he didn’t heed to that.”

Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Taylor to 18-weeks in prison suspended for 18 months.

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He added: “When you were in that police car, the officers placed some degree of trust in you, there is no criticism of them at all, all the criticism is to be levelled at you because you abused that trust.

“You had obviously calmed down and took the opportunity to run away. Why is unclear because you would have known that at some stage you would have got into more trouble.

“It was a remarkably stupid thing for you to do.”

Taylor was ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and was made subject of a six-month drug monitoring requirement.