Sean Cruickshank: On-the-run murderer jailed for three months

The court was told that police were called to a report of two intoxicated males near Ballymagroarty community centre in the city.

One was identified as Cruickshank who the police had been trying to find to return to prison for the past nine months.

He was seen in an alleyway and gave a false name to officers.

He was then arrested for an assault from last October and ran off before being taken to the ground by police.

While on the ground, a police witness said, Pregabalin tablets fell from his pocket and a Xanax tablet was found when he was searched.

The police officer said while being arrested, Cruikshank was “quite animated and shouting”.

He admitted having the drugs and said they were for personal use.

A defence solicitor said that Cruikshank had been “evading the authorities” but had been doing so by “staying out of trouble”.

District Judge Barney McElholm sentenced Cruickshank to three months in prison.

The defendant had been given a life sentence after being convicted along with another man of the murder of a 19-year-old man in August 2009.

The court set a tariff of 11 years as the minimum Cruikshank had to serve before being considered for release.

After Cruickshank’s licence was revoked, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued an appeal for his whereabouts and warned the public not to approach him.

Cruikshank’s solicitor said that it would now be up to the parole commissioners to decide how long his client would remain in prison.