An Irishman has just entered the record books, though whether or not his feat is something to be admired or admonished is likely to split the nation. John Patrick Hannan now holds the record for the longest escape from custody, after he climbed over the walls of a British prison using bedsheets he’d knotted together, he has now been a fugitive for 60 years.
Only 22 at the time, he escaped from Verne Prison in Portland, Dorset, in December 1955, and remains a wanted man, though British police officers say they are unsure if he is even still alive. He was described at the time as being Caucasian, 5’7”, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a “proportionate” build.
Hannan, who would now be 81, is suspected of crossing the Irish Sea after fleeing the prison where he was sentenced to 21 months for stealing a car and assaulting two police officers.
While serving his time, Hannan and fellow inmate Gwynant Thomas made their escape using the bedclothes to scale the wall. The duo then broke into a petrol station, from which they stole overcoats to disguise their prison uniforms, as well as beer and cigarettes.
Verne Prison in Portland, Dorset, from which Hannan and Thomas escaped [Wiki Commons]
Thomas, then 22, was captured by the authorities within a day near Dorchester after both he and Hannan were seen by a lorry driver who reported their suspicious behaviour to the police. But the Irish criminal evaded a large-scale manhunt, including roadblocks and canine units, and remains free to this very day.
The Dorset Police force has issued a number of appeals over the years, the last time in 1998. At that point, officers wrote in a newsletter: “If you read this, Mr Hannan, please write in, we’d love to hear from you.”
A spokesman for the force said that the force is no longer actively pursuing any lines of investigation in his case, but any information as to his current whereabouts would be treated with “considerable interest,” the Telegraph reports.
