September 04, 2003

DON'T TELL ANYONE

This is bad:

A convicted killer and pedophile remains on the run after slipping away from his guard in a prison day-leave debacle.

Police believe Trevor Andrew Bransgrove, 37, is in Melbourne after fleeing his prison escort in a Ballarat shopping mall.

And this is worse:

Almost an hour elapsed as the frantic guard searched the mall before reporting the escape to police.

UPDATE. Caught.

Posted by Tim Blair at September 4, 2003 03:25 PM
Comments

Police believe he's in Melbourne.

Search Perth.

Posted by: ilibcc at September 4, 2003 at 03:55 PM

What in the words of Bugs Bunny is this creature doing at a mall?

Posted by: BigFire at September 4, 2003 at 04:27 PM

Checking out the kids at the Wiggles show, presumably.

Posted by: Max at September 4, 2003 at 04:45 PM

Correct, Max.

Other reports had him following a family group with young children; while shopkeepers whose premises he entered reported him to mall centre management because he looked so suspicious.

It's all in the interests of rehabilitation.

Posted by: ilibcc at September 4, 2003 at 04:51 PM

... however in an acompanying press release, police also report that they have been successful at recapturing escaped lunatics Pauline Hanson and John Howard.

Posted by: Peta Piper at September 4, 2003 at 05:31 PM

They got him. Unfortunately he didn't resist arrest hard enough. BLAM, BLAM, he's still moving BLAM, no he's not.

Posted by: Razor at September 4, 2003 at 06:05 PM

... whose guards had been distracted while reading The Age and having a latte and a toasted BLT in a nearby deli.

Posted by: pooh at September 4, 2003 at 06:06 PM

Check the line at the local seminary recruiting office- with that sort of a CV, he could be the next Pope.

Posted by: Habib Bickford at September 4, 2003 at 08:05 PM

Once they had the guy in the back of the divvy van he sliced himself up with a razor he'd hidden in his clothes. The police had to give him a second round of capsicum spray to get the loon out for paramedic help. Gotta feel sorry for the Ambos who got that job. Three to go though.

Posted by: Jake D at September 4, 2003 at 08:38 PM

Imagine putting "escaped pedophile" on your resume.

Posted by: Amos at September 4, 2003 at 09:27 PM

It's better than cardinal or governor-general, though. Er, wait a minute... have I got that right?

Posted by: Rob (No.1) at September 4, 2003 at 09:33 PM

Um, I have a question for my friends Down Under..

WHAT THE F*&$#@!

How in the Hell did this guy get near a mall? A 14 year sentence for Armed Robbery and Pedophilia (multiple counts)?

People laugh at this country (USA) for having too many people in prison, and I work in one myself, but this is ridiculous. This guy should never be anywhere near children -- ever again. Pedophilia is untreatable, I know, I've worked with population. The hope, if they are on the streets, is that you can prevent them from going to places where there are children -- that's the treatment, managing urges. Never never never going around kids, especially if this guy has a violent history as well -- incredibly poor prognosis.

This is beyond "progressive" - it's just begging for trouble.

Jerry

Posted by: Jerry at September 5, 2003 at 01:58 AM

The article linked to referred to him as a "Victorian killer", which conjured up all kinds of images of some elegant Jack the Ripper type in top hat, tails, white gloves and cane.

Until I saw the mugshot. Ye gods !

Posted by: Carl in N.H. at September 5, 2003 at 03:00 AM

Perhaps they believe they're out walking a pet dog without even a leash on.

Crims planning to escape prison are, evidently, wasting their time, they need only apply for the day release scheme.

Posted by: d at September 5, 2003 at 12:57 PM