Jason Burdon arrested after prison break; Group in charge of Remand Centre may be fined

Escapee Jason Burdon has been arrested after he was tracked by helicopter and followed by STAR Group officers, before being injured when he rammed a police car.

Prison escapee Jason Burdon has been arrested, a day and a half after he broke out of the Adelaide Remand Centre.

About 8pm Wednesday, SA Police spotted a black Toyota RAV 4 with altered number plates on Marion Rd at Sturt.

The car had been used in a North Brighton petrol theft about 6pm, and the driver’s appearance was similar to Burdon.

Broken glass and blood can be seen on an Eden Hills driveway - the spot where Adelaide Remand Centre escapee Jason Burdon was arrested last night @theTiser pic.twitter.com/lU9FN38V7p

— Gabriel Polychronis (@G_Polychronis) December 2, 2020

Police have recaptured Jason Burdon after his Wednesday escape from the Adelaide Remand Centre.

Police called in STAR Group officers and a helicopter, and followed the car to an Eden Hills property where Burdon allegedly rammed a police car while trying to escape.

He was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital for minor injuries, while no officers were injured.

Burdon will face other charges including escaping lawful custody and traffic offences.

Earlier, it was reported that the company tasked with keeping Adelaide Remand Centre secure could be fined $100,000 after a prisoner’s Houdini-style escape on Tuesday.

Jason Burdon, 33, managed to escape by bending window louvres in the kitchen area about 9.55am, before scaling down a wall in rope made from pants and a T-shirt. Police were alerted to his daring escape about 10.20am but Burdon had fled the area on a stolen e-bike.

He made it to Military Road at West Lakes Shore at about 12.45pm, where he is suspected of stealing a black Toyota RAV4 with registration S279BBL.

Police commissioner Grant Stevens said the 25-minute delay between Burdon’s escape and SAPOL being informed was a “concern”.

“Any delay is an impediment to mobilising our resources,” he said.

The escape has sparked outrage from the public, the state’s top public service union and the opposition, all asking who is to blame for the blunder.

Police outside the Adelaide Remand Centre, from where Jason Burdon escaped. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

Police and corrections minister Vincent Tarzia said SA Police “left no stone unturned” when “tracking down this slippery individual”.

He also addressed concerns about the government’s contract with Serco at the Adelaide Remand Centre.

“We must remember, critical incidents occur in all prisons,” he said.

“To suggest escapes only occur in outsourced facilities is a myth.”

Mr Tarzia said he did not want to pre-empt a review into the incident, but the government will be analysing their contract with Serco, activating clauses for a prison break should Serco be deemed at fault by the investigation.

“There’s no doubt there is a fine that could be applied for an escape from prison,” added Mr Tarzia.

“My advice is that is in the order of $100,000.

“There will be a time and place when we will go through that contract, we will make sure we do what’s in the best interest of the taxpayers of SA in relation to that contract,” he said.

“Any escape of any prisoner from any of our correctional facilities is completely unacceptable.”

Department of Corrections chief executive David Brown has taken the blame for the escape, sharing the public’s concerns.

“I’m responsible for the good order and security of every prisoner in South Australia, so ultimately it is my responsibility to understand what happened in this incident,” Mr Brown said.

Mr Brown told FIVEaa radio on Wednesday morning that prison staffing levels are not discussed publicly, but “there’s no doubt there’s fewer staff” since it was publicly operated.

He told the media later on that he is “deeply concerned” about the escape, and has taken remedial steps to lockdown the facility.

“I’ve issued a direction to Serco that no prisoner is to enter the kitchen until a more comprehensive review is undertaken”.

He added that the “critical” incident led to an immediate security review of the centre.

“We have to understand how Serco performed in its management and operation in the prison and we have to do that quickly,” Mr Brown added.

“Serco is actively monitored by our contract monitoring team and is subject to regular performance review meetings”.

Originally published as Jason Burdon arrested after prison break; Group in charge of Remand Centre may be fined