Riki Akuira, 34: Burglary suspect escaped through toilet window at Dee Why police station

A burglary suspect escaped through the bathroom window at a northern beaches’ police station and managed to stay on the run for more than seven weeks.

Riki Akuira, 34, was able to escape from Dee Why police station through a bathroom window after he was arrested for break and enter. Picture: Adam Ward

A man arrested for burglary managed to escape a Sydney police station by squeezing through a bathroom window and staying on the run for more than seven weeks.

Riki Akuira, 34 was able to slip out of Dee Why police station — via the toilets near the foyer.

The station’s front doors were locked.

Akuira, from the northern beaches, was able to evade police for 50 days before being recaptured at a caravan park in Terrey Hills.

Even then, Manly Local Court heard he tried to flee on an unregistered motorcycle. But he crashed the bike into three parked cars just moments later. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Akuira was handed a six-month jail sentence by Magistrate Lisa Stapleton on Wednesday after pleading guilty to escaping police custody.

Riki Akuira, 34, convicted in Manly Local Court on Wednesday, of escaping police custody. Picture: NSW Police

He was also jailed for 16 months on one count of aggravated break and enter in company for breaking into a block of flats at Cremorne, armed with a screwdriver to jimmy open the front security door.

After catching a lift into the basement parking garage, Akuira, who also had bolt cutters to cut bike locks, managed to take off with two e-bikes.

Magistrate Lisa Stapleton ordered an aggregate jail sentence of 16 months for the two convictions.

Akuira, who appeared in court via video link from the John Moroney Correctional Centre near Windsor, was also convicted of a string of driving charges, as well as goods in custody and possessing a small quantity of methamphetamine.

He was disqualified from driving for six months for driving while disqualified and given a series of Community Correction Orders for having a stolen phone in his possession and driving under the influence of an illicit drug.

Riki Akuira was jailed for 16 months by Manly Local Court. Picture: Monique Harmer

In a facts sheet tendered to court, police stated that on June 2 last year Akuira went to Dee Why police station to report as part of bail conditions set down for previous charges.

While at the station he was arrested for the break-in at the Cremorne unit block on May 30.

But while officers were talking to another person, according to the facts sheet, Akuira “made his way past police and entered the bathroom adjacent to the foyer of the police station”.

“(Akuira) opened a window within the bathroom and escaped out of the window and left in an unknown direction,” the facts state.

He was recaptured at Terrey Hills on the evening of July 22.

Magistrate Stapleton said “substance addiction was a major issue” in his background and described his driving matters as “anti-social criminal offending”.

“He’s causing harm. He’s exposing the community to risk,” she said.

Akuira will be able to be released on parole on July 1, after already serving tine in custody on remand.