An escaped prisoner with a history of violence has been found and re-arrested. 

Keith Macken, who is in his 40s and awaiting sentence for assault, escaped from custody in Dublin over the weekend. 

The Dublin man, who was on remand from Wheatfield Prison, was brought to Tallaght Hospital on Saturday morning.

There he fled while on escort at about 6am.

In a statement, the Irish Prison Service said that as soon as Macken escaped, Gardaí were "notified immediately" and given "all the relevant information" about him.

"The Irish Prison Service is currently investigating the circumstances of the escape," a spokesperson said.

Main image: A man in handcuffs. Picture by: tommaso altamura / Alamy Stock Photo