Escapee gets slap on wrist for absence
A MAN who escaped a Townsville correctional centre could serve just one month more behind bars than he would have had he not fled.
Geoffrey John Campbell was only three months away from being released when he fled the Townsville Correctional Centre Farm.
He escaped custody on October 21. He was last spotted about 4am and was officially declared missing some 3 ½ hours later after he failed to turn up to a headcount.
Campbell, 39, was serving a nine- month jail sentence for possession of explosives and weapons and was due to be released in January.
For nearly two weeks Campbell was the most wanted man in North Queensland and the focus of a manhunt.
Townsville Police arrested the escapee about 1am on November 3 at a North Ward address.
Campbell was charged with being an escapee, possessing dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils.
Police found cannabis and a cone in his possession during the arrest.
He appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court just seven hours later and was remanded in custody by Magistrate Howard Osbourne.
On November 14, Campbell pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody, the two drugs charges related to his arrest and three older matters of driving without a licence ( demerit points), driving with relevant drug in his system and possessing an implement used in an offence.
For escaping custody, Campbell was sentenced to six months’ jail and will be eligible for parole from February 14.
The parole board will determine whether or not Campbell sees out his entire six- month sentence.
He was given lesser concurrent prison sentences for his drug offences.
He was also fined $ 1050 and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for three months for his traffic matters.