A teenager who jumped from the dock at Dundee Sheriff Court after being told he was losing his liberty has admitted trying to pervert the course of justice.
John Buchan leaped from the dock in courtroom four and tried to flee the building after being remanded for admitting a dozen charges.
Buchan was caught and restrained by a police officer and a GeoAmey worker after he hurled himself over the top of the glass barrier behind the dock and made for the door.
Habitual dock-dodger
Buchan admitted the May 12 2022 escape bid, which left the police officer injured.
Buchan, of Dundee‘s Parkhead Place, was not present at Dundee Sheriff Court but his solicitor Anika Jethwa pled guilty on his behalf, explaining her client was ill and had lost his voice.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland deferred sentencing until October 13 for reports and for the 19-year-old to be personally present.
Before leaping from the dock, Buchan had absent when his solicitor pled guilty on his behalf on earlier that week, citing coronavirus.
However, it was found this was not true and he was discovered by police at another address.
String of offences
Then listed as a HMP Kibble inmate, Buchan was being remanded in connection with a string of offences.
He acted in a threatening manner in Dundee on June 19 2020 by brandishing a brick at a male and threatening to strike a vehicle, as well as to threatening to blow up a car and house full of people in Glenconnor Drive.
He admitted that on August 18 2020, he assaulted a man at Poplar Grey Court by approaching him while in possession of a metal pole and robbing him of his car keys and car.
On the final day of that month, he drove dangerously in a different vehicle on streets in Dundee’s Whitfield at speed and on the wrong side of the road.
He overtook a vehicle at a junction, turned sharply at speed and mounted a kerb.
All four of the car tyres left the road as he entered a grassy area and pavement.
On September 6 2020, he assaulted a boy who had turned 15 less than a month before by approaching him from behind on Banchory Road and robbing him of his bicycle.
Two days later, the boy drove a third car along Broughty Ferry Road while uninsured and too young to hold a licence.
He drove dangerously by travelling at excessive speed, failing to stop for a red light and entering the opposing carriageway to overtake a queue of traffic which was stopped at traffic lights.
He admitted breaching a trio of bail curfews.
The boy also admitted playing his part in a carjacking, for which his co-accused was bailed.
When he was just 15, he hurled an exhaust box out of the window of a Honda stolen by his acquaintance – then a 15-year-old – as police pursued them.
For more local court content visit our dedicated page, or join us on Facebook.
