Man who fled court before being jailed wanted again by police

A man with a string of convictions is on the run from police.

Lee O’Neill, 41, is wanted on suspicion of assault and criminal damage in relation to an incident in Stockton Heath on June 13.

O'Neill, of Crowe Avenue, Orford, Warrington, is described as white, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, of proportionate build, with short brown hair and blue eyes.

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This is not the first time O'Neill has tried to evade the law. In August 2020, Liverpool Crown Court heard how he escaped the dock in Warrington Magistrates' Court when he was told he was going to receive a prison sentence.

He was about to be sentenced for failing to comply with a community order imposed for a spate of thefts and chose to run out of the building with his girlfriend in tow. He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison in his absence.

O'Neill was caught a day later and subsequently pleaded guilty to escape from lawful custody, common assault and breaching a restraining order. In September 2020, he was jailed for another 18 weeks for assault, theft and driving matters.

The 41-year-old has 39 previous convictions for 101 offences, including an attack on a pensioner in 2020. His criminal record includes 32 offences related to police, courts and prisons, but mostly involve dishonesty, low level violence and harassment.

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