CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian police were left red-faced by a handcuffed man who escaped in a patrol car on Tuesday while two officers were inspecting evidence outside.
The man, wanted over a series of break-ins, escaped custodyin Brisbane, in the northern state of Queensland, just minutesafter he was handcuffed and placed in the back of the unmarkedpolice car.
"Police then began examining the contents of a bag found inhis possession. They did that at the rear of the police car,"Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart toldreporters, naming the suspect as Mark Robert Nolan, aged 29.
"During that time, it appears Nolan got into the front ofthe police car and turned the police car on and driven off,"Stewart said. He said Nolan was handcuffed with his hands infront of his body.
The car was found an hour later, without Nolan, a policespokeswoman later said.
(Reporting by Rob Taylor; Editing by Valerie Lee)
