After being sentenced to three years in jail for armed robbery, twin brothers Roston and Russel Thomas tried to make a dash for freedom from the San Fernando Fourth Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Roston, who was already being placed in handcuffs was subdued by Court and Process Officers but Russel managed to escape.
The brothers, both 27, were before Magistrate Margaret Alert in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court around 1.15 pm yesterday.
They were charged with armed robbery in 2012. They were found guilty of robbing Patrick Whiteman, 63, of Dumfries Road, Bamboo Village, La Romaine, of a gold chain and a gold bracelet.
Both men gave their address as 22 Nicholas Ville, San Juan.
Constable Burnette and Khan were in court at the time of the incident. The T&T Guardian understands the men began pleading for a lesser sentence as soon as Alert gave her ruling.
She told them her decision was final and Burnette moved to place handcuffs on the men who had been on bail at the time.
But Roston began resisting and struggling. Russel took the time afforded by his brother’s antics to leap over a bench and run straight out of the courtroom.
He ran down a flight of stairs and past unsuspecting MTS security officers, hitting the streets.
Roston was taken for holding in the prisoner’s docks’ beneath the court.
Up to late yesterday, Senior Superintendent Irwin Hackshaw said there was no update on Russel’s whereabouts as police continued their search.