A 'Jack the Lad' criminal wanted in Salford following a high-speed police chase was found hiding half-naked in his dad's wardrobe in west Wales - but managed to escaped after cops took off his hand-cuffs to let get dressed. Lawrence Goldsworthy, from Salford, fled from the house and was on the run from the authorities for nine days before before being caught back in Manchester, a court heard.
Helen Randall, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on July 18 last year Goldsworthy was involved in a police chase through the streets of Salford, WalesOnline reports.
The court heard the defendant was at the wheel of a Seat Ibiza which raced away from officers who signalled for him to stop, going through junctions without slowing down, taking bends at speed, and driving on the wrong side of the road forcing oncoming vehicles to take evasive action. At one point he reversed onto a pavement to get away after a police car managed to get in front of him and force him to stop.
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Goldsworthy then abandoned the car and ran off - but was caught and arrested shortly after. He told officers he had been the passenger in the Seat not the driver. Goldsworthy was charged with dangerous driving and a trial date was set for August this year.
Miss Randall said on May 6 this year police went to the defendant's father's house in Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire - the defendant was prohibited from being at the address as part of his bail conditions. Officers searched the house and found the 32-year-old half-naked and hiding in a wardrobe with a small mount of cannabis.
He was arrested and cuffed but when officers subsequently removed his handcuffs to allow him to get dressed, Goldsworthy fled from the house and disappeared. The defendant's whereabouts were unknown until May 15 when police stopped a car in Salford and found him inside.
He was transported to Haverfordwest police station where he ripped up a book he had been given and used the pages to block the toilet in his cell and cause a flood. In his subsequent interview, he answered "no comment" to all questions asked but give officers a prepared statement in which he said his escape from custody earlier in the month had been a "spur of the moment thing", and he regretted the damage he had caused to the cell after being returned to Pembrokeshire.
Goldsworthy, of Winterford Road, Broughton, had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, escaping lawful custody, and criminal damage when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 30 previous convictions for 52 offences including failing to surrender, criminal damage, common assault, and driving matters.
Dan Griffiths, for Goldsworthy, said the defendant was an individual with "a number of challenges" who had been diagnosed with autism and Asperger’s during his early life and had had a recent diagnosis of psychosis while in custody - conditions were exacerbated by his misuse of alcohol and drugs. The advocate said Goldsworthy would be the first to acknowledge that in recent times his behaviour had been "reckless and out of control" but he said the defendant was now drug free in custody, was properly medicated for the first time in his life, and was showing a "positive attitude".
He added that the flooding of police station cell had been done in "frustration" after arriving in Haverfordwest in the early hours of the morning following the long road journey from Manchester. Judge Huw Rees said that perhaps the time had come when the defendant had decided to no longer be "Jack the lad".
With a 15 per cent discount for his guilty plea to the Manchester offending Goldsworthy was sentenced to eight months in prison, and with a 25 per cent discount for his guilty pleas to the Pembrokeshire matters was sentenced to four months in prison for those - the sentences will run consecutively making an overall sentence of 12 months in prison.
He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was also banned from driving for two years.
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