Courtroom drama as youth leaps from dock; Attacker caught in nearby room.

Byline: BY LYNDA ROUGHLEY Daily Post Correspondent

A YOUTH made a dramatic bid for freedom yesterday after being told that he would have to serve four-and-a-half years detention for an attack on a woman teacher who he dragged feet first from her car.

When the sentence was announced Patrick Garret, 18, vaulted over the door of the dock at Liverpool Crown Court and fled from the courtroom.

Two female Group 4 security officers immediately gave chase and caught him in a room on the landing nearby and detained him before escorting him away to begin his sentence.

Before his escape attempt, Garrett, of no fixed address, had admitted assault with intent to rob Marie O'Shea, 59, and also had 144 other offences including dwelling house burglaries, stealing cars and theft from cars, taken into consideration.

Michael Stephenson, prosecuting, told how the incident took place at about 6.30am on May 8 this year when the teacher walked her dog in Key Park off Warren Drive in Blundellsands. She returned to her car and started to turn it around but a Corsa car then blocked her path.

Garrett got out of the passenger seat and walked towards her smiling and she lowered her window thinking he wanted to speak to her.

But he then punched her several times in the face through her open window and tried to grab her ignition keys. She kept hold of the keys and he kept punching her to the face and head.

His accomplice Anthony McCormack, 19, came over and told him to grab her legs. She threw the keys under her seat but they opened her door and dragged her out by the feet. She screamed and valiantly kicked out at them and they ran off.

The frightened victim, who suffered severe facial bruising and cuts, went to a nearby house to raise the alarm. McCormack's fingerprints were later found on her car. He was arrested and Garrett was detained later and the victim picked him out on an identity parade.

The court heard that Mrs O'Shea was treated at hospital for her injuries which included bruising to her legs and face and cuts to her hands and legs.

Her lower back was also damaged and even after physiotherapy now needs the aid of a walking stick.

Before Garrett's escape attempt, Judge Mark Brown had spoken of what Mrs O'Shea had endured and said: "It must have been a terrifying ordeal."

Charles Lander, defending, said that Garrett, who has previous convictions including robbery, had expressed remorse.

The court heard that McCormack, of Stanley Road, Kirkdale, had received 20 months.