Aaron Strachan, 21, who held a teenage girl at knifepoint before raping her, was due to appear at Edinburgh’s High Court this morning at around 11.15am.
Strachan evaded external agency officers escorting him and was reportedly seen running through crowds on the Royal Mile. Police later apprehended him following a manhunt.
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A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 11.15am on Tuesday, 13 January, we were made aware of a man escaping from custody at the High Court in Edinburgh.
“Officers attended and the 21-year-old man was traced nearby.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson also confirmed the incident, stating: “We can confirm an individual escaped while under GEOAmey escort this morning, and we are working with Police Scotland to return him to custody.”
Strachan’s sentencing has been postponed.