Defendant bolts from court, caught after scuffle

He was originally charged for theft, but if police have their way, thirty-three year old Lester Smith will face a whole lot more. This afternoon Smith, who appeared before Magistrate Herbert Lord, was charged and remanded to Hattieville Prison until July fourteenth. Evidently disgruntled with this decision, he tried to make a run for it and bolted out of the courthouse, punching an employee in the process. During his escape attempt, Smith also plummeted down the court steps taking police officer Elmir Robinson along for the ride. And if that wasn’t enough, according to court reports, after the fall an all out brawl ensued resulting in major head injuries for Smith and torn shirts, along with minor abrasions for the police officers involved. The cops are contemplating charging Smith, who is also on bail for burglary, with escape, damage to property and harm. Smith was arrested for snatching a gold chain from the neck of a seventy year old woman.