Woman prisoner escapes hospital custody after guards' view blocked by privacy screen
A woman prisoner escaped police custody at Walsall Manor Hospital after the view of the officers guarding her was blocked by a privacy screen, a judge heard.
Kelly Matthews pretended to be asleep when a doctor came to examine the patient in the next door bed, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
The medic pulled a privacy curtain around the bed of the person he was checking at the hospital, explained Mr Nicholas Wadsworth, prosecuting.
That obscured the line of vision of the police officers guarding 35-year-old Matthews, who had vanished when the screen was removed five minutes later.
By then the defendant had managed to slip unnoticed out of a side door and flee from the hospital, the court heard.
She was found the following day half a mile away in Union Street when a man alerted police after spotting the hospital identity tag that the woman still had round her wrist when she called at his house and asked to use the phone.
Mr Wadsworth explained that Matthews had been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and taken to Walsall Police Station for questioning.
He continued: "She later complained of chest pains and palpitations and was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital by two police officers.
"Three and a half hours after arriving a doctor wanted to examine the elderly female patient in the next door bed to the defendant and pulled across a fabric curtain. "The doctor asked the police officers to move to the other side of the curtain and when it was pulled back five minutes later the defendant was gone.
"She had left by a side door but was detained the following day following a phone call to the police."
Mr Patrick Currie, defending, said: "My client is deeply ashamed of her behaviour and is very committed to engage with social and professional services. She wants to rebuild her life."
Matthews from Shrewsbury Close, Mossley, pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody on December 8. She also admitted seven thefts from Bloxwich shops committed between April 11 and December 2.
Four of these were from Home Bargains while she struck once at Asda, the Post Office and Wilkinson store.
Recorder Nicholas Cartwright said after hearing she was determined to kick the drug habit that drove her to commit crime: "I hope you mean what you say about rebuilding your life. "
He gave her a two year community order under supervision with an order that she attend courses on overcoming substance abuse and building skills for recovery.
