Third escape attempt by prisoner

Gardai are still searching for escaped prisoner who fled custody in Cork District Court today.

It is the third time Niall Fitzpatrick has escaped from custody.

He was about to appear at a court in Cork when he broke free from police and prison officers and vaulted the judge’s bench.

The 33-year-old ran through the judges’ chambers and through a back door before scaling a six foot wall and making off in a waiting car, police said.

Police and prison officers immediately gave chase through the court but failed to catch up with him.

Fitzpatrick, from Mayfield in Cork, was appearing before Anglesea District Court in relation to a previous escape on January 6, this year.

He spent almost a week on the run then after escaping while being escorted back to Cork Prison.

He had apparently told police officers that he would help them to recover a gun if they took him outside.

The first time he escaped was in the mid 1990s when he escaped from Limerick Prison but was later caught.

One officer said: ‘‘He’s certainly a slippery customer - a bit of a Houdini. I’m not sure about putting him in handcuffs, perhaps we should keep him in shackles next time.’’

Fitzpatrick is 5ft 9in in height, of medium build and has brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone who spots him is warned not to approach him but contact police immediately.