A SUSPECTED drug dealer has become the third high-profile prisoner to escape police custody in less than a week after he attacked two cops and kicked through a hospital window.
The 18-year-old, who had been arrested for allegedly growing cannabis, attacked a male volunteer cop and a woman police officer before kicking through a window at Birmingham’s City Hospital and fleeing on Friday night.
The breakout is the third prisoner escape in a week and follows the nationwide manhunt for Coventry convict Andrew Farndon and Tipton murder suspect John Anslow.
Dangerous Farndon, who escaped from the custody of prison officers as they escorted him to West Suffolk Hospital for treatment on Wednesday, was eventually captured in Scotland on Friday – but alleged murderer Anslow is still at large.
West Midlands Police had arrested the latest prisoner to escape after allegations that he had been growing cannabis.
A special constable and WPC took the teenager to hospital after he complained that he felt unwell. But he attacked them and absconded while they waited on a ward with him.
Officers launched a frantic manhunt involving a police helicopter.
The teenager was arrested less than an hour later and charged with one count of escaping from lawful custody and two counts of section 20 minor assault.
Birmingham Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart said using a special constable to escort a prisoner to hospital was “sloppy policing”.
The Labour politician said: “Police need to look at procedures to see if it was the right use of a special constable.
“They also need to look at why a prisoner was able to get away when it was two against one.
“It seems to me to be sloppy policing.
“I don’t think police should be able to hide behind the excuse of cuts when they don’t do their job as well as they should do.”
Officers swarmed over the City Hospital site at around 10.30pm on Friday in their hunt for the man.
A passerby, who did not want to be named, said: “I’ve never seen so many police.
“The helicopter was up and had its searchlight going.
“We assumed it was someone on the run but didn’t expect them to have escaped from the hospital.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman confirmed the suspect had escaped.
An 18-year-old male was in police custody on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and for recall to prison,“ he said.
“He was taken to hospital after he stated he was unwell on Friday afternoon.
“While on the hospital ward he made an attempt to run off.
“He assaulted an officer and a special constable and kicked through a window to the hospital grounds.
“Police responded immediately, secured the grounds and the force helicopter was deployed.
“The man was found within 50 minutes and re-arrested in the hospital grounds.”
The spokesman said police bosses would investigate the incident but hat the special constable was used correctly.
He added: “A full review of the circumstances surrounding the case will take place as part of normal procedure.
“Special constables have got exactly the same powers as police officers and the spe cial constable in this un stance was deployed in his capacity as a fully trained police officer.“
