A 17-year-old youth escaped from Garda custody last night after a court appearance in Athlone while being transferred from Athlone to Dublin.
The gardai accompanying the youth had stopped at Moate Garda Station in Co Westmeath for a rest period. On the way out of the station, the youth, who was being taken to St Patrick's Institution for Young Offenders, broke free from the two gardai.
Gardai last night searched the area and circulated details of the incident to local stations. A spokesperson said they were confident that they would find him quickly.
