Moment stalker waiting for surgery over police dog wounds fled from operating theatre
This is the moment an arsonist and stalker waiting for surgery after sustaining wounds from a police dog fled the operating theatre and was not found for days.
Glen Leary, of Halliwell Crescent, was in police custody at Northern General Hospital on October 25, 2024, after he fled from a dangerous driving incident and was brought down by a police dog.
But in an apparently unattended moment while waiting in the operating theatre for wounds to his leg, the 45-year-old got up, fled the hospital, and was not seen by police for days.
Sheffield Crown Court heard on Tuesday (March 23) how the escape was among a raft of offences committed by Leary between September and October 2024, including stalking and arson.
He was sentenced to an extensive community order in 2025, but after failing to attend even one of this requirement days, Leary was brough back to court and sentenced to 37 months in prison.
Stalking and arson
Leary stalked his ex-girlfriend after their relationship ended in September 2024.
It included an incident where he followed her from nightclub to nightclub on a night out in Sheffield city centre and “stared at her” from the bar.
She woke up the next day to 45 missed calls from him.
Then, when Leary found out his ex was dating again, he set fire to a salon her new boyfriend worked at, then phoned her to say: “His car is next.”
Escaping custody
On October 24, 2024, a man reported his Volkswagen Golf stolen, and it was spotted on the road by officers soon after.
A high-speed chase reaching 80mph began before the car was abandoned in a field, and Leary and another man were seen fleeing the vehicle.
However, he was brought down by a police dog and arrested, and suffered wounds to his leg.
The next day, while awaiting surgery, Leary fled from the operating theatre at Northern General Hospital, escaped the grounds, and was not found by police for another five days.
Sentenced
Leary was sentenced to a community order after pleading guilty to stalking without violence, arson and escaping lawful custody in 2025. However, he was brought back to court after failing to attend even a single one of his requirement days or check-ins.
Sentencing him on March 23, Recorder Mr Ian Mullarkey said: “In particular, the impact of your offending upon [your ex-partner] is significant. She described feeling blackmailed by you, causing her to move house.
“You appeared to believe she engaged in some malicious process against you, and you engaged in victim blaming.”
Leary was handed 37 months in prison. Due to time spent in jail on remand, he will likely be released before the end of 2026.