Eight of South Australia’s short-lived escapes from custody
One climbed out a window with a rope of clothes, another ran off after hearing of his daughter’s new boyfriend. These are SA’s shortest prisoner escapes.
Police & Courts
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These brazen South Australian escape artists aren’t exactly the next Harry Houdini, but they gave it their best shot. From jumping court docks to escaping prison cells, these criminals were going to stop at nothing in their bid for freedom. While their attempts were either instantly thwarted or short-lived, it still left some guards, sheriff’s officers and police officers red faced.
Nathan Barry Lutton
It was a short-lived, brazen escape from the Mount Gambier Courthouse that left a number of sheriff’s officers red-faced in 2018. Lutton had just been led to the cells after being sentenced to a short term of imprisonment during the final hearing of a lengthy case list in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court. But he didn’t stay there long.
It is unclear what happened in the cells that allowed Lutton to seize an opportunity to escape. He managed to run up the stairs from the cells, through the doors of the courtroom, down the courthouse’s foyer stairs and straight past the registry below while sheriff’s officers gave chase.
Lutton would lead them on an adventure across Mount Gambier, jumping residential fences and running along the main streets of the city. Police launched a manhunt and about six patrol vehicles swarmed on a location 1.5km away from where he escaped custody. He was arrested a short time later near a car yard and this time led to the police cells.
At a later date, Lutton told the court he escaped because he hadn’t said goodbye to his dogs. He pleaded guilty to a charge of escape custody and was sentenced one year, seven months and two weeks, with a non-parole period of 12 months. Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell called for increased security at the courthouse in the aftermath of the incident.
Jason Gregory Burdon
Concepts become cliches for a reason – because they work – and few things are as cliche as an escape rope made from prison-issue clothes.
But a trip to the Adelaide Remand Centre’s laundry was all Jason Gregory Burdon needed, on December 2, 2020, to escape the detention facility and take off through the CBD.
The incident, which was captured by CCTV cameras, was far from the first time Burdon had made a break for it after a crime – but definitely his most successful attempt.
The lifelong career criminal was in custody after a prior escape, over fences and rooftops at Clarence Gardens in May 2019, resulted in his arrest.
Burdon had been, at that time, pursuing his latest scam – stealing grey cars, swapping their licence plates with those of other vehicles and using them to rob houses.
His preferred loot was passports, jewellery, bags, cash, memorabilia, heirlooms, computers, watches and even the keys to the houses and other vehicles.
Burdon’s mistake was carjacking – and injuring – another driver to make his getaway, and that led to his arrest, his incarceration in the remand centre, and his high-profile escape.
Having been on the run for a day and a half, Burdon was apprehended and would complain police used “excessive force” during his arrest.
That drew little sympathy from Judge Simon Stretton during sentencing on March 3, 2022 – he said Burdon deserved no less than 45 years’ jail for his rampant offending.
State law, however, prohibits such “crushing” sentences from being imposed, and so Judge Stretton ordered Burdon spend 15 years behind bars.
Shane Andrew Gauci
Upset upon learning his daughter was liaising with someone he deemed unsuitable, Shane Gauci decided he needed to confront the man and visit his daughter.
He took his chance to escape from a Toyota people mover carrying eight prisoners to a national park as part of a prerelease cleaning program when it stopped to refuel at a Gorge Rd, Newton, service station on September 24, 2018.
Prisoners were given the opportunity to use the toilet or have a cigarette.
Gauci, who had a 20-year history of offending, said he needed to use the toilet but instead disappeared. A supervisor raised the alarm about 8.30am when he failed to return the van.
Authorities launched a wide scale search for him – warning members of the public not to approach him – and raided multiple properties across Adelaide before finding him two days later.
He was discovered hiding out at his ex-partner’s home in Gawler, where his three children were living at the time.
He returned back to custody without a hitch after being allowed a moment to say goodbye to family members.
Judge Paul Cuthbertson said that Gauci’s escape, while not violent, placed prisoners’ involvement in prerelease programs at risk.
At the time he was serving a jail term for attacking a widow outside a Salisbury bank while on parole for other offending.
Judge Cuthbertson extended Gauci’s jail term by seven months to five years and five months and increased his non-parole period by three months to three years and six months.
Daniel James Nicholson
Feeling increasingly agitated at learning his bail would be revoked, Daniel James Nicholson made a last-ditch attempt to flee being taken into custody by leaping over a magistrates court dock.
He appeared in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court in September 2020, expecting to return home afterwards but “freaked out” and began pleading with Magistrate Sue O’Connor not to have him taken into custody.
Nicholson, of O’Sullivan Beach, initially failed to leap over the glass-walled dock as two sheriffs tried to stop him, but he broke free and successfully made it on to the bar table in court 4.
His attempted escape was short-lived as a police officer – who tackled him to the ground – and the sheriffs thwarted his futile attempt in seconds, despite his continued attempts to struggle free.
Afterwards, Nicholson, who was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time, told police he was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions and had just been “trying to get out of there”.
The two sheriffs were injured during the incident.
Nicholson later pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to escape custody and two counts of recklessly causing harm to a prescribed emergency services worker. The court heard he had a string of prior offences and a longstanding drug problem. He was jailed for 21 months with a 12-month non-parole period.
Joshua James Childs
Childs tasted freedom for all of one second after jumping the dock at the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court before shattering his hip on the ground.
The then 22-year-old had been applying for bail after being charged with threatening his neighbours.
The known methamphetamine addict was standing in the dock next to a police officer when he decided to try his luck at an escape.
Instead of trying to grab Childs, who by that point was more than halfway over the glass siding of the dock, the police officer pushed him, sending him sprawling on to the courtroom floor.
If the contact of the fall wasn’t enough, a sheriff’s officer arrived soon afterwards and leapt on Childs to prevent him getting back up again.
Childs was taken into custody and charged with escaping custody.
However, the charge wasn’t the only thing Childs would take away from that afternoon.
The next time he appeared in court, Childs was using a walking frame because of the damage to his hip in the fall.
Henri Joseph Melino
Country police stations are not exactly known for their Fort Knox level of security.
In Melino’s case, the only thing between himself and freedom was an unlocked door.
On January 3, 2020 Melino was arrested and charged with a series of offences perpetrated in a small South East town.
After going on a crime spree, Melino was taken to the town’s small police station.
His handcuffs were removed as the police officer booked him.
The officer left the room briefly and Melino, who was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time, spotted the back door of the station was ajar.
Melino strolled out the back door and went on the run for two days before coming to his senses.
He was arrested as he was on his way back to the police station to hand himself in.
Melino was sentenced to seven months and 26 days for escaping custody and breaching a good behaviour bond.
Simon Newchurch
As a former champion footballer, Newchurch was in good physical form when he found himself unattended at the Murray Bridge Hospital.
Newchurch was in police custody after being charged with multiple acts of domestic violence.
But before being placed in a jail cell, Newchurch was taken to hospital for a health check.
After being left unattended, Newchurch walked and then ran through the halls of the hospital before bursting into freedom.
He was arrested the next day while hiding out at a friend’s house.
Newchurch was previously a champion footballer in the River Murray Football League representing Tailem Bend, Ramblers and Meningie.
He won club best and fairests and the Cybulka Medal for best on ground in an A-Grade grand final.
But drugs and alcohol would prove his undoing – and leave him languishing behind bars for years.
Newchurch was sentenced to four years, seven months and 24 days for all charges. He will be eligible for parole in November 2024.
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