Overview
- A restricted patient, Cliff Lyons Dobbie, absconded from escorted community leave in Perth and was reported missing after leaving staff on Thursday, 6 August.
- Police Scotland launched an urgent manhunt and published a detailed description of Dobbie including his build, tattoos and last-seen clothing while urging the public not to approach him and to report sightings using incident number 1696.
- Officers confirmed on Saturday that Dobbie has been traced and thanked members of the public for sharing information with the force.
- NHS Tayside said it worked closely with Police Scotland, said established missing-patient procedures were followed and declined to discuss individual patient details because of confidentiality, and inquiries remain ongoing.
- Dobbie was convicted in 1990 of serious sexual offences against children and has been held as a restricted patient in high-security units such as the State Hospital at Carstairs, a history that helped explain the swift public warning and the focus on secure-patient management.