Four in court after escaped prisoner is caught in Ayrshire

FOUR people are to appear in court today after a dangerous prisoner who went on the run following an armed escape outside a hospital was arrested in Scotland.

Andrew Farndon, 26, was recaptured after he was sprung from the custody of prison officers as they escorted him to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, for treatment on Wednesday.

He evaded police for two days before being arrested in New Cumnock, in Ayrshire, on Friday.

Strathclyde Police also detained three men and a woman on suspicion of attempting to pervert the ends of justice. The four suspects are expected to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court today.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Police, who are investigating the escape, said: “On Friday, officers from Strathclyde Police arrested Andrew Farndon in New Cumnock, Ayrshire. He is currently detained in police custody.

“A further four people, three men aged 16, 33, 43, and a woman, aged 44, have been arrested and are presently detained in police custody for allegedly attempting to pervert the ends of justice.”

It is understood Farndon suffered a knife wound at Highpoint prison in Stradishall, near Newmarket, before being taken to the West Suffolk Hospital’s accident and emergency department in a taxi, accompanied by two guards, at 6:50pm on Wednesday.

A waiting gunman confronted the male and female prison officials and threatened them with his weapon, before fleeing along with Farndon across the car park.

Farndon’s arrest came as his mother made a public appeal urging him to contact police.

Farndon’s escape was the second in a week, after an “extremely dangerous” category A prisoner, murder suspect John Anslow, was sprung from a prison van after it left Hewell Prison in Worcestershire. He remains at large.