A 26-year-old man who had a six-hour stand-off involving PSNI negotiators at a house in Milford before allegedly escaping the clutches of police while in handcuffs has been freed on bail.
Curtis Rodgers, with an address in Wrights Park in Rathfriland, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Newry, via videolink from Maghaberry.
The defendant, accused of three counts of criminal damage, breach of a Non-Molestation Order, theft, and escaping from lawful custody, was applying for bail for a third time.
A prosecution lawyer told the court how police were called to an address in Milford on August 18, last year.
It was a third-party report involving the defendant and his partner.
“She had phoned her friend and could be heard crying. Rodgers could be heard in the background shouting, the phone went dead, and when the friend attempted to phone her back, there was no answer,” said the prosecutor.
On arrival, police could see both parties from the living room and “it was clear that the complainant was upset”.
Both the front and back doors to the property were locked. Police were told that they couldn’t find the keys; however, the complainant was able to tell police, when they got her out of the property, that Rogers “had had the keys the whole time and refused to pass them over to her and let her out”.
She was able to climb out of the kitchen window and spoke with the two police officers.
“Curtis remained on the property where he became extremely irate,” said the prosecutor. “He grabbed what appeared to be a butter knife and made threats against his own safety.
“He then presented a lighter and what appeared to be lighter fluid, and threatened to set the property on fire if police entered. He said if police did force their way in, he would run upstairs and jump out of an upstairs window.”
That, the court heard, necessitated an Armed Response Unit, negotiators, Fire and Rescue, and dog call signs to be summoned to the scene.
The prosecutor continued: “Whilst the extra resources were being mobilised, I’m instructed that the defendant consumed some 40 pregabalin tablets. He also put a sofa against the front door and wedged the back door shut with the fridge.
“Police were able to observe him jumping up and down on the fridge…the complainant alleged that during the verbal argument, he had taken her phone from her and smashed it.”
Police also established that there is currently a Non-Molestation Order in place between the defendant and the complainant, in which he’s not allowed to approach, harass, or contact her.
Rodgers was taken to Craigavon Area Hospital at 5pm, some six hours after police were first called.
He was being escorted back to a cell van, handcuffed, when he made off from police. Despite being handcuffed, he was able to scale a tall fence and evade police.
The dog call sign and the Armed Response Unit were tasked to search for him within the surrounding areas, but it was several hours before he was located in the Gilford area.
The court heard he broke the handcuffs of the arresting officer when he was making good his alleged escape.
There is also an allegation that he took a mobile phone from a 14-year-old who was fishing in the area. The victim alleged that the defendant threatened him, which is why he handed over the phone.
Rodgers was applying for bail to an address in Bangor where a woman lives with her two children – an 11-year-old and a 16-year-old.
Detective Constable Karen Newby told the court that this woman “claims that her son would sleep on the sofa, in which case, Curtis would have a bedroom to himself.”
The detective constable said the woman has been flagged from 2022 with health issues, and that police would have concerns given there are children in the property.
Defence barrister Ruiari Gillen said he was applying for bail primarily on the context of the time that has been served.
“I’m sure your worship can understand that the maximum sentence [on the indictable offence] is one of three years, and that includes people who have escaped unlawfully from Maghaberry, for example. I submit to your worship that the circumstances of this case are at the lower end of the scale, compared to someone who would escape in the manner in which someone might have to escape from an actual prison.”
He added: “There was a very opportunistic element to this offence… so it’s my respectful submission that we are getting close to the period where Mr. Rodgers might serve more than what the Crown Court ultimately were to give him if he were to be found guilty.
“I’ve dealt with Mr. Rodgers for the entirety of his criminal record. The only period of time that he has stayed out of trouble and been doing well is the period of time that [he has spent] at the proposed bail address.
“He’s been very fortunate to come across [this woman] and her family, and she’s very keen to have him back because she knows that she can have a positive influence on him.”
Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter agreed with Mr Gillen and freed Rodgers with a curfew between 10 pm and 8 am. He was ordered to check in with police twice a week.
The case was adjourned until February 25 in order to fix a date for a Preliminary Enquiry.
