A prisoner who escaped custody near West Wyalong and was later arrested at Dubbo has been sentenced to a maximum term of 12 months in jail, adding to his period of incarceration.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
John Robert Bamblett, 35, escaped while being transported between correctional centres on November 5 and then stole a car.
He pleaded guilty in Dubbo Local Court to inmate escape from lawful custody and to taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.
Magistrate Philip Stewart sentenced Bamblett to a 12-month term of imprisonment for the escape, with a non-parole period of six months.
The sentence has added to the time Bamblett will spend behind bars - it is to date from October 5 this year, meaning Bamblett will be eligible for release to parole in April 2017.
Court documents show Bamblett had been serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed in Dubbo District Court when the fresh offences occurred.
About 1.50pm on November 5, the prisoner escaped from Corrective Services custody while being escorted from Ivanhoe Correctional Centre to Wellington Correctional Centre.
Bamblett, a minimum security prisoner, had been allowed to exit the escort vehicle for a toilet break, court documents show. He fled into surrounding bushland and Correctional Services officers were unable to locate him.
Police were called and with the assistance of a police dog searched a large area of bushland and surrounding farm houses, but were unable to locate Bamblett.
Between 3pm that day and 8.20am the next day the escapee went to a property in West Wyalong and entered an unlocked white Toyota Hilux that was parked in a driveway. He started the vehicle using the keys left in the ignition and travelled to Gilgandra, about 315km away.
Bamblett stopped the vehicle about 2km out of town and left it on the shoulder of the Newell Highway, keys in the ignition.
When Bamblett faced Dubbo Local Court on Friday he was also sentenced to a nine-month fixed term of imprisonment for stealing the car, to expire on September 24.
