A man who was sentenced to a year in prison for assaulting a taxi driver leapt from the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and made a dramatic dash for freedom.
Peter John McCallum, 25, sprinted from the courtroom in the Mercatgate annex building at around 12.20pm today, hotly pursued by a police officer.
The dramatic scenes came as he appeared in the dock and admitted one charge of assaulting the taxi driver and a further charge of providing police with a false name.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin had just delivered her sentence when the 25-year-old jumped out of the dock and ran from the courtroom.
One police officer gave chase, while other officers dashed across Union Street from the main sheriff court building in order to stop McCallum from reaching the street.
McCallum was apprehended one floor down from the courtroom, where he violently struggled with constables and security staff for around five minutes.
‘His solicitor looked pretty shocked’
One solicitor, who was present in court at the time, said: “He’d just been told he had got 12 months in prison and he vaulted out of the dock.
“His solicitor Mhyrin Hill looked pretty shocked as her client sprinted out of the courtroom.”
McCallum, of Hazelbank Gardens, Stirling, had originally appeared in court to be sentenced for an assault on Seaton Road, Aberdeen, in September last year.
The charges state he assaulted a taxi driver by pushing him to the body and restraining him against his car before demanding money from him.
It is understood that after being denied the money by the taxi driver, McCallum proceeded to attack the man by repeatedly punching and kicking him in the head.
He then attempted to rob the man of a quantity of money.
Peter John McCallum gave false name to police
McCallum also admitted a charge that on St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, and at Kittybrewster Police Station he gave police officers a false name and date of birth.
And, as a result, had intended and attempted to pervert the course of justice.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin sentenced McCallum to a prison sentence of 12 months.
It is understood he will now have to be brought back to court to be sentenced on additional charges related to his unsuccessful escape attempt, struggling violently with police officers and criminal damage.
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