Questions over prisoner’s escape need answers

THE events which led to the shooting death of a man on the run in Hobart’s northern suburbs have left many in shock. Nicholas Aaron Scott, 26, was found dead outside a residence at Granton hours after escaping custody at the Royal Hobart Hospital on Monday night where the prisoner was receiving medical treatment. A 20-year-old man has been charged with his murder.

It was a sad end for Scott who, according to Justice Stephen Estcourt, had been exposed to drugs “at a very young age” and a ward of the state from age 12. His life included an extensive criminal history and drug addiction.

While escapes from custody at the RHH are rare, the incident does raise questions about the effectiveness of security when prisoners are taken to the public hospital for treatment.

Was there an adequate number of guards? How did Scott get away? How did he manage to elude authorities for hours, including a stopover at the busy Salamanca strip where he borrowed a mobile phone?

The Department of Justice and Corrections has launched an investigation to answer these questions.

It is not the first time prisoners have fled the RHH. In 2004 a prisoner escaped after threatening a police officer with a blood-filled syringe. In 2019 another prisoner ran from the hospital, stole a mountain bike and rode to New Town where an associate helped to hide him from authorities. In April 2020, a 21-yearold assaulted a guard and escaped before being recaptured minutes later and in February 2022, a prisoner who was recovering in hospital after swallowing sharp objects escaped when a guard took a toilet break. He was at large for four days.

Prisoner advocate Greg Barns says Scott’s escape was a sign that the prison system is failing and that prisoners are becoming “desperate”.

Prison authorities have a responsibility to keep prisoners and the community safe. Changes need to be made. It is simply not good enough for someone to escape while receiving hospital treatment.