4 who leapt off prison truck jailed
THE four prisoners who escaped from the back of a police vehicle while being taken to St Albans Prison in Port Elizabeth were jailed for escaping from lawful custody.
The four men were sentenced in the Gelvandale Magistrate’s Court this week.
The inmates escaped from custody while en route to St Albans Correctional Centre last month. At the time of the escape, the vehicle was travelling in Gail Road between Extention 5 and 6 in Malabar when the driver heard noises at the back of the prison truck.
Police said that the driver saw prisoners jump from the top of the truck and flee into the bush.
The four were all sentenced robbery suspects, who had been involved in robberies in the Mount Road and Bethelsdorp areas.
On Wednesday, Etienne Andrews and Marco Tiervlei were sentenced to three years direct imprisonment, with six months suspended for four years, while Justin Bramwell and William Kleinbooi were sentenced yesterday, also to three years direct imprisonment, with six months suspended for four years.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said that immediately after the escape a task team was established and the group started their hunt for the suspects.
Naidu said that within 11 hours all four were again behind bars. The acting cluster commander for Mount Road, Brigadier Neil Jantjies, commended the officers who worked to get the four behind bars again. – African News Agency/ANA