Escape From Prison

johnnysmurfman

I've been thinking a lot recently about the implications of an escape from an Irish prison. I'm not talking about not returning to prison after a spell on temporary release, I'm talking about a good old fashioned 'doing a runner'. I have considered the following;

1. Only the judiciary have the power to sentence an individual to spend time in a penal institution, therefore in order to be punished by virtue of an extended stay in prison you would have to go before the courts.

2. I accept the fact that should an escape attempt feature any element of assault, false imprisonment etc then the escapee would be subject to the courts and would be handed down a consecutive sentence in respect of such offence(s).

What I am thinking about is an escape similar to the one executed in the infamous escape from Alcatraz i.e. simply finding a chink in the armour of the prison and managing to make your way into some kind of ventilation shaft or whatever and then somehow getting over the wall and away to freedom, without any element of physical violence. Does anyone have any thoughts or is anyone aware of any examples of such an escape/attempted escape.

dermot_sheehan

You'd automatically lose you're remission which is equal to a third of your sentence.

You'd probably be charge with escape from lawful custody, tacking another 6 months on to your sentence.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA27Y1960S6.html


Any person who aids you gets up to 10 years
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA32Y1976S6.html

Our man in Havana

Most escapes from prison seem to be on court outings (out the toilet window) or visits to the local A&E for treatment.

Did they ever catch the "kerry pimpermel" who did a runner from the Gardai at Portlaoise DC and started taunting them in the national press?

maidhc

johnnysmurfman wrote:

Does anyone have any thoughts or is anyone aware of any examples of such an escape/attempted escape.

IRA - Helecopter - Land in exercise yard - Be gone

sh_o

maidhc wrote:

IRA - Helecopter - Land in exercise yard - Be gone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_prison_escapes#Oct.2C_1973_-_Mountjoy_Gaol.2C_Ireland
Oct, 1973 - Mountjoy Gaol, Ireland

On Halloween 1973 in Dublin an IRA militant hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to land in the exercise yard of Mountjoy Jail's D Wing at 3.40pm, Oct 31, 1973. Three members of the IRA were able to escape, JB O'Hagan, Seamus Twomey and Kevin Mallon. Another prisoner who also was in the prison was quoted as saying, "One shamefaced screw apologised to the governor and said he thought it was the new Minister for Defence arriving. I told him it was our Minister of Defence leaving."

The Mountjoy helicopter escape became republican lore and was immortalised by the highly popular The Helicopter Song, which contains the memorable lines "It's up like a bird and over the prison. There's three men a missing I heard the warder say". "republican-news"

Gobán Saor

There was another case (though I can't recall the man's name, sorry!) where a republican prisoner escaped from Crumlin road prison, subsequently had his conviction overturned on appeal in absentia, was arrested in the South on foot of an extradition warrant relating solely to the escape and returned to Northern Ireland to face "justice".

Chakar

An very interesting situation occured in the case of John Gallagher the killer of Ann and Annie Gillespie mother he was found guilty but insane of murder by a jury in the Central Criminal Court on the 19th July 1989. He was sent to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Co. Dublin to be detained there until the executive, the Minister for Justice, would allow him to go free.

In July of 2000, John Gallagher absconded from the Central Mental Hospital.He escaped to Northern Ireland where he was arrested by armed police in Britain but he cannot be compelled to return to the hospital in Ireland as his insanity plea makes him technically not guilty under Irish law and there is no provision in the extradition laws for cases such as his. Gallagher has given interviews to the media in which he has stated he is going to stay in England.