A huge manhunt was sparked after a shoplifter escaped from a prison van following an appearance in court. Paul Lupu stole more than £3,000 worth of 'high-value' items from two stores at the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet on December 5 last year, Cheshire Live reports.
The 20-year-old then returned to the shopping park three days later with a plan to target a third store. But security recognised him, and he was arrested then subsequently charged with two counts of theft.
Lupu, from Chadderton in Oldham, was remanded into custody after appearing at Chester Magistrates' Court on December 11. Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link. After the hearing, he was placed in a cell in a prison van to be taken to Altcourse Prison.
During the journey he started to cover a CCTV camera with tissue, Chester Crown Court heard. The prison officers stopped the van and opened his cell door, when Lupu forced himself past them and fled on foot after a struggle.