Telford assault suspect freed from court cell by mistake

Daniel Klagge, of Brookside, Telford, had appeared at Telford Magistrates Court charged with unlawfully wounding Matthew Hilditch and resisting arrest.

He made no indication of plea and was granted conditional bail by magistrates - but an appeal was immediately made against that decision by prosecutor Kate Price.

In those circumstances Klagge, 27, of Bishopdale, should have remained in custody overnight until a judge made a decision on the appeal.

However, he was released by GeoAmey cell staff, collected his bail notice and left the court.

Mrs Price told the court yesterday: "We have had guidance from the office that the defendant has been released from the cells.

"He came upstairs where he saw his solicitor Mr Dean Easthope, who asked what he was doing and he said he was out of here."

Magistrates were unable to lawfully issue a warrant for his arrest so a warrant of commitment to crown court was put out for Klagge.

This incident is not the first time a suspect has left custody at the court.

In September last year a convicted shoplifter, who had been remanded into custody, walked out of court and went back into Telford Shopping Centre where she had carried out her offences.

Rebecca Hitchin, 32, pleaded guilty at Telford Magistrates Court to stealing perfume and aftershave from Debenhams and Marks & Spencer at Telford Shopping Centre.

She was told by a court clerk to wait for a female custody escort to take her down to the cells. But instead she told court staff that she was going into town and walked out of the building.

The security service called for a woman to be found and the court clerk ordered Hitchin to sit at the back of the court. But the offender left before staff could detain her.

The thief, of Blews Hill Court, Dawley, later returned of her own accord and was taken to prison.

An investigation was launched into the incident at the time.