Hong Kong prison officer recaptures handcuffed burglary suspect who fled hospital
- Inmate being held at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre over burglary offence taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital after complaining of physical discomfort
- He managed to slip free of handcuffs attached to bed and ran out of hospital, but prison officer gave chase and recaptured him about 200 metres from main building
A Hong Kong prison officer has recaptured an inmate who managed to slip out of his handcuffs while under his watch at a public hospital, the second such incident in five months.
The Correctional Services Department on Wednesday said the 27-year-old, held at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre over a burglary offence since July, was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei after complaining of physical discomfort on Friday.
The man was then admitted for treatment.
“At about 10.57pm [on Tuesday], he suddenly escaped from the handcuffs tied to the bed and ran away,” the department said.
A source with knowledge of the matter said the man was being guarded by the department officer who was inside the ward at the time.
A preliminary investigation suggested a nurse saw the inmate running out of the ward and shouted for help, alerting the officer who then gave chase, the insider added.
The prison officer recaptured the man on Gascoigne Road, more than 200 metres (218 yards) from the hospital’s main block, the source said.
The source said it was possible the handcuffs were not tight enough, allowing the man to slip free.
The case has been reported to police. The department said a board of inquiry had been set up to investigate.
About five months ago, police recaptured a 64-year-old man who escaped from the same hospital while in custody for allegedly taking indecent photos of his step-granddaughter and producing child pornography.
The man, who was sent to Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre after he was charged in June, complained of feeling unwell and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for treatment. But he fled in the early hours of June 22.
A source at the time said that the man was handcuffed to his hospital bed and guarded by two prison service staff. But he managed to escape and left the hospital ward at about 4am.
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A citywide search began when a nurse discovered the suspect was missing and alerted police at 4.05am. The department said that the suspect escaped “when the correctional staff went to the nurses’ station in the hospital ward”.
The insider said the suspect flagged down a taxi that took him home to Sham Shui Po to get money from his stepdaughter, but she called police.
Officers found him on Wai Lun Street, near the junction with Nam Cheong Street in Sham Shui Po, at about 5.45am.
The source said a preliminary investigation in that case suggested the handcuffs were not tight enough and the man’s wrists were too slim, allowing him to slip free.
