A PROLIFIC criminal who gave police officers the slip despite being handcuffed and claiming to have a dislocated shoulder has been jailed for escape and a series of other offences.

A judge was shown video footage of Aaron Barnsley being walked towards a hospital A&E department following his arrest last month, but when a motorbike rider pulled up nearby the 38-year-old took his chance to throw himself on the back of the machine.

The motorbike was driven away and Barnsley, of no fixed abode, was at large for four hours before he was re-arrested.

Earlier that afternoon Barnsley, who has more than 30 previous convictions for 115 offences, was caught red-handed with another man stealing fuel from a housing development site in Allerton.

Judge Jonathan Rose watched dashcam footage of a police car turning up on the scene and saw Barnsley drive off in a Transit van which was on false plates.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the thieves had also stolen security cameras from the site to prevent their detection and as the van was pursued through residential streets it was spilling some of the stolen fuel from the rear.

The pursuit ended when Barnsley drove down a grassed slope behind a primary school and jumped from the moving van which then smashed into a rear garden fence.

He tried to run off but was arrested and then claimed to have suffered a dislocated shoulder.

As people gathered around Barnsley was said to have been mouthing to someone about being “picked up”.

Barnsley, who appeared via a video link to HMP Leeds, pleaded guilty earlier this week to offences of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, theft of fuel and the security cameras, going equipped for theft and escape.

Judge Rose rejected any suggestion that the escape incident could be described as comical and said it was serious because Barnsley had sought the help of someone else to aid and abet his escape from custody.

The judge added: “You were taken to hospital by the police. Their priority was to ensure your welfare was properly looked after and the injury you claimed to have sustained received proper treatment.

“That was kindness and generosity repaid by you escaping in the way we have seen.”

Barnsley, who was still on prison licence from his most recent jail term when he committed the latest offences last month, was jailed for a total of 28 months.

He was also banned from driving for a total of five years and two months and he must pass an extended re-test before lawfully driving on the roads again.