A teenager escaped from police by climbing out of a window on the 14th floor of a Dundee multi.
Although Connor McLeod (16) scaled down the side of the block to arrive safely on the ground, there was a brief stand-off with police when he was later found on the fourth-floor ledge of another building, the city’s sheriff court heard on Wednesday.
McLeod admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice with his Spider-Man antics on Tuesday night. His not guilty plea to a charge of breaching a bail curfew was accepted.
The court heard events were set in motion when police arrived at McLeod’s home in Dallfield Court to check he was abiding by a bail curfew.
His mother Lyn Ellen Finlay (37), Gourdie Road, became angry at their questions, the court learned. She appeared in the dock on a separate complaint just minutes before her son to admit that she shouted, swore and threatened to kill police officers, while on bail.
Depute fiscal Vicki Bell said Finlay and her former partner answered the door to the officers at around 9pm and said McLeod was not at home.
Finlay continued to shout at the officers, despite being advised by them to stop and go inside, and she threatened to kill them ”if you give my bairn the jail.”
Sheriff Tom Hughes deferred sentence on her to November 16 for background reports and granted her bail.
Just minutes later her son was in the dock and the depute fiscal said officers had gone to the house again shortly before 11pm to speak to McLeod.
He was allowed to collect his jacket from the living room but when he failed to return officers entered and found the window open. They looked out and saw him climbing down scaffolding on the multi-storey block.
Given the height, further police units were summoned.
Ms Bell said: ”He in fact successfully climbed down to ground level and was seen by police running in Lawson Place and they gave chase.
”He then appeared on the top-floor outer ledge of a four-storey block in Stirling Street and police attempted to talk him down.”
After about 10 minutes he came down and was arrested.
The teenager’s lawyer James Laverty said McLeod’s parents had been at a funeral and had been drinking.
The boy had returned home in time for his curfew but his parents were very drunk and he had an argument with his father, which resulted in him being thrown out of the house at about 8.20pm.
He went to a friend’s and called the police to tell them what had happened. He later called his father, who told him he could return home, and again the police were advised of that, Mr Laverty said.
Officers then returned to Dallfield Court and McLeod realised he was being arrested for breaching his curfew.
”He then took frankly extreme measures in relation to this,” Mr Laverty said. ”He simply panicked and made his escape.”
The escapade was ”typical of Mr McLeod’s non-consequential thinking,” he added.
Sheriff Hughes deferred sentence on McLeod to November 11, when he has another matter calling, and remanded him in custody until then.