Jail for Spalding man who fled arrest

An arrested man who vaulted an eight foot high gate to escape from Boston Police Station has been jailed for 16 months.

Aurimas Butkys, pictured right, was being led in handcuffs from a police car into the station when he made a run for it.

Even though he was still handcuffed he managed to get over the gate and evaded recapture for three days before being picked up at the port of Folkestone.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court on Monday that officials at the port carried out a documents check on Butkys. He produced false ID papers and as a result was arrested.
Butkys was originally held in July on a European arrest warrant relating to a domestic assault in Lithuania.

Mr Howes said “He escaped within the police yard and managed to vault an eight foot gate despite the fact that he was in handcuffs. He was chased by two officers but successfully escaped. He came to the attention of the authorities three days later.”

Butkys, 25, of Chaucer’s Way, Spalding, admitted escaping from custody on July 13 this year. He also admitted possession of an ID document with improper intention on July 16.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told him: “Plainly this is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be passed.”

Mandisa Knights, in mitigation, said: “He made a decision to escape and his intention was to return to Lithuania on his own volition. It was his misguided belief that the extradition proceedings would be lengthy and be costly for him. When he was detained he was on a bus heading for Lithuania.

“He recognises that he is the architect of his own fate.”

When Butkys has completed his sentence in the UK he will be returned to Lithuania to serve a five month jail sentence for the assault.