Sheffield Crown Court: Judge warns escapee he is 'bonkers' and in danger of being locked up

Sheffield Crown Court heard on January 16 how Troy Wildin, aged 20, of Dovercourt Road, near Masbrough and Bradgate, Rotherham, fled from police officers in May, 2022, as they investigated an allegation of threats after he had previously leapt from a court dock during a separate matter in January 2022.

Judge Rachael Harrison told Wildin: “You have behaved in a way that can only be described as absolutely bonkers. I don’t know what you were thinking of when you ran from the police officers because you put yourself in danger of going to prison.”

Stephanie Hollis, prosecuting, said two officers investigating a complaint of threats arrested Wildin at his mother’s address but after he had been allowed to use the bathroom and get some medication he pushed past one of the officers as they walked down stairs and he fled from the property.

Police later returned to the address and found Wildin and he complied and went with police, according to Ms Hollis.

The court heard no charges were brought concerning the complaint of threats but Wildin was arrested and charged with escaping during a lawful arrest.

Wildin, who has previous convictions including intimidating witnesses, pleaded guilty to escaping from the officers.

Ms Hollis said: “He made admissions saying he was scared and he had been drinking and he had just come out of prison and he intended to hand himself in later that day. He said he was smoking a degree of cannabis and was struggling with anxiety at the time this offence was committed.”

Wildin had previously appeared at Sheffield Crown Court in January, 2022 for the intimidation matter and he had jumped over the dock and fled from the courtroom, according to Ms Hollis, before he returned and was sentenced.

Ms Hollis said: “The defendant did jump over the dock and absented himself from the court for a short period and he did return to the courtroom a short time later after he was chased onto the concourse and straddled a banister.”

Wildin had received a six-month custodial sentence for this previous offence of intimidating witnesses after he had threatened a man and a woman in August, 2020, who had been victims in a shooting incident, to drop charges or he would mess up their home and shoot them. No action was taken concerning Wildin’s escape from the dock.

Clarkson Baptiste, defending, said that Wildin lacks maturity and consequential thinking, and his alcohol and drug intake drove him to commit this latest offence.

Mr Baptiste added: “He tells me he is very, very scared. He knows what he has done and he knows the gravity of it and having been in custody on a previous occasion it was the thought of returning that he reacted to.”

Judge Harrison sentenced Wildin to two months of custody suspended for 12 months with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, an Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Programme, and 120 hours of unpaid work.

She warned Wildin if he fails to comply with the suspended sentence he will be jailed and she added: “If you come back, work on the basis you will go to prison.”