Curtis Rodgers, 26, escaped police custody while handcuffed after a six-hour standoff in Milford; he’s now out on bail.
Rodgers appeared in court via video link. He faces charges including criminal damage, theft, and escaping custody. This was his third time applying for bail.
A lawyer said police went to a Milford address last August, responding to a report involving Rodgers and his partner. She was crying on the phone to a friend. Shouting was heard, then the line went dead.
Police arrived and saw the couple. The woman looked upset and the doors were locked. She said Rodgers had the keys, and refused to give them to her or let her leave the property. She climbed out a kitchen window and spoke to police.
Rodgers became very angry on the property. He had a butter knife and threatened himself and to set the house on fire. He also threatened to jump from a window.
Police then called more units to the scene, including armed officers, negotiators, and fire and rescue services.
The prosecutor said Rodgers took 40 tablets. He put a sofa against the front door and blocked the back door with the fridge. Police saw him jumping on the fridge and that he smashed her phone during an argument.
A court heard there was a Non-Molestation Order preventing Rodgers from contacting her. Rodgers went to the hospital six hours later.
He escaped from police while handcuffed, scaling a fence and getting away. Officers found him in Gilford hours later. He broke the handcuffs during his escape.
He allegedly stole a phone from a 14-year-old while the teen was fishing and victim said Rodgers threatened him. Rodgers asked to live at a Bangor address where a woman and her two children live.
A detective said the woman’s son sleeps on the sofa. Rodgers would have a bedroom to himself but the woman has health issues. Police have concerns with children there.
A defense lawyer said Rodgers had served time already and the maximum sentence is three years. He argued this case was less serious than other prison escapes. He said the escape was opportunistic.
The lawyer added that Rodgers might serve more time than he would have been sentenced with a trial and that the proposed address had a positive impact on him before. The woman is keen to have him back, believing she can help him. The judge freed Rodgers with a curfew, and he must check in twice weekly. The case continues in February.