A STABBING suspect has been jailed for escaping from court – but cleared of the crime which saw him called before a judge in the first place. 

George Qatramiz was in the dock at Brighton Crown Court in Edward Street on April 5 accused of stabbing Bradley Hughes.

Judge Shani Barnes was hearing a plea from the 32-year-old, who was legally representing himself, to dismiss the charge of wounding with intent against him and also deciding whether he should be granted bail. 

When both were denied and court was adjourned Qatramiz, of Grand Avenue, Seaford, called over his girlfriend who had been crying in the public gallery to say he loved her. 

Then he escaped by clambering up the 15ft glass panel of the dock, which encloses court defendants, just steps away from a security guard.  He fell flat on the floor on the other side and dashed out of the room, smashing into the doors as he left. In doing so he evaded two guards from court security firm GEOAmey and a police officer who was sat preparing to give evidence.

He ran down three storeys of stairs from the crown court rooms situated at the top of the Brighton Magistrates’ Court building, and past security guards at the entrance to the court house. He lost his jacket as he fell down steps on to the street and ran across the road towards St James’s Street with staff and police in pursuit. 

After a four-hour manhunt he was tracked to Grand Parade in Eastbourne in a car driven by a woman and found hiding in Trinity Trees, close to Holy Trinity Parish Church on the A259.

He was recaptured by police and remanded in custody, appearing back in court the next day via video link from the cells handcuffed to two security guards. He remained in custody until he stood trial at Woolwich Crown Court - which has a tunnel linking it to high security Belmarsh prison - accused of wounding with intent. A jury has found him not guilty.

He pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody for which he was sentenced to four months in prison.  Natalie Watson, 22, of Cliff Avenue, Peacehaven, was charged with obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty and failing to stop a car and will appear at Hastings Magistrates' Court on July 27.

Background

THIS was the second time George Qatramiz had tried to escape. He had just been told he would be in prison for a year when he tried to flee in 2012.  He threw himself through a glass window to break free from Lewes Crown Court and his looming custodial sentence for planning to deal class B drugs.

He jumped from the dock and leapt through the window but was stopped in his tracks by security guards and officers on May 3. He was carried to a waiting police van where he was checked in hospital for his injuries.