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Prisoner who absconded from hospital is wanted for ramming garda car

Duane Farry is awaiting trial in Co Donegal for ramming a Garda car,

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A thug who absconded from police custody last week recently staged a rooftop protest at a hospital.

Duane Farry was apprehended 24 hours after giving cops the slip in Enniskillen as he was being dealt with for a medical issue.

He’d just been arrested on suspicion of assaulting police and criminal damage when he managed to escape custody.

The 34-year-old, who has racked up more than 90 criminal convictions and is awaiting trial in Co Donegal for ramming a Garda car, sparked a major manhunt on Monday night.

The gobby thug managed to get all the way from Enniskillen where he escaped to Coalisland 49 miles away, before he was recaptured.

It’s understood the police helicopter was used to detect Farry, but it was a tip-off from a member of the public that saw police apprehend him.

We can reveal Farry recently staged a protest on the roof of the South West Area Hospital in Enniskillen after complaining to staff that he needed more drugs.

While standing precariously on a high wall, he continued to moan about the hospital and started abusing a team of police officers who had been tasked to attend the shocking incident.

On Wednesday, he appeared at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court charged with a number of offences.

Speaking only to confirm his identity, Farry was charged with damaging a window, resisting arrest and using disorderly behaviour.

It is further alleged he escaped from lawful custody, stole PSNI handcuffs, assaulted two police officers and attempted to damage a PSNI cell van.

There was no application for bail and District Judge Michael Ranaghan remanded him in custody to appear again by video-link on December 12.

Farry was jailed for nine months last year after he went on a drink-drive rampage in a stolen horse truck but is still wanted in Co Donegal after he was charged in connection with the ramming of a Garda car two years ago.

Farry was jailed again last November after he inappropriately touched a McDonald’s restaurant worker before trying to bite a number of cops who were called to the scene.

And in June this year he was jailed for nine months for committing GBH on a cop, assaulting another cop during a shocking incident when he told one officer, “I’ll cut you to pieces you f***ing rat”.

Last night, the PSNI confirmed they had apprehended Farry.

They said: “Police have arrested Duane Farry who absconded from police custody in Enniskillen on Monday evening, 27th November. Following a comprehensive police operation, the 34-year-old was arrested in the Coalisland area and is back in police custody.

“He was arrested on Monday on suspicion of a number of offences including criminal damage and assault on police.