A killer driver walked out of an open prison while suffering a ‘diabetic episode’ then called 999 on himself.
James Brosnan, 40, who in 2014 was jailed for more than 10 years under a different name for killing two cyclists while speeding, claimed to have reached Brighton in a ‘state of diabetic confusion’.
He made it to Oxford where, nine days after his escape, he called 999 and told the police he was armed and dangerous. When he was arrested by armed police it turned out he had no firearm.
On Monday (August 14), Recorder John Bate-Williams jailed him for four months. He told Brosnan that he would serve half of the sentence behind bars before being eligible for release.
“As you know from bitter previous experience, if you are in breach of any of the licence [conditions] you are liable to be recalled to custody,” he added.
READ MORE: Online petition to change sentencing laws launched in memory of two cyclists who died in Purley smash (Reading Chronicle)
Earlier, prosecutor Matthew Knight said that Brosnan had been moved to open prison HMP Ford, around 30 miles from Brighton, a month before his escape last August.
He was originally jailed for 10 years and three months in 2014 for causing the deaths of two cyclists in Purley-on-Thames after crashing into them while driving at more than twice the speed limit.
His sentence, which he was given under a previous name of Alexander Walter, was subsequently upheld by the court of appeal.
Brosnan was released from custody but subsequently recalled to prison after what was described in court on Monday as relatively low-level public order matters.
Despite having been at HMP Ford for around a month by the time he escaped, a ‘risk assessment’ was yet to be carried out by the prison authorities.
“It being an open prison, Mr Brosnan simply walked out. No further detail; it was noticed he wasn’t there,” Mr Knight said.
The escapee was later to tell the police that he first went to Brighton, although was unsure how he got there.
He said he had a ‘diabetic episode’ and was in a ‘state of confusion’ when he realised he was in the coastal city.
Brosnan managed to get some insulin in Brighton and made his way to Oxford. It was there, on August 20, that he called the police to give himself up.
READ MORE: Do you know bearded 'fraudster' accused of scamming OAP?
He claimed to have a gun and would ‘shoot people’, the court heard. It transpired when he was arrested that he did not have a gun and did not shoot people; but told the armed officers that he wanted to speak to domestic spy agency MI5.
The defendant has been either remanded in prison or been receiving treatment at a secure psychiatric hospital since his arrest 12 months ago.
Jonathan Coode, defending, noted that his client was a dual UK-Russian citizen and, if he had ‘intended to really go he would have taken himself off to Russia’.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article