Prison break: Inmate charged after woman carjacked in epic escape

An escapee from Long Bay Prison has carjacked a woman and forced her to drive him across Sydney, before he was arrested by police in dramatic fashion.

An inmate has been charged with escaping prison and stealing a car in Sydney’s east on Monday.

Police say the dangerous criminal with a history of gun offences climbed a fence and made a prison break from Long Bay jail before carjacking a woman and making her drive him across Sydney in a horrifying ordeal.

The 43-year-old man was taken to Kogarah Police Station where he was charged with inmate escape from lawful custody, two counts of aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence, take & drive conveyance without consent of owner and two counts of take and detain person with intent to obtain advantage.

He was refused bail to appear before Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, Jason Neil Melbon allegedly put a chair up against an internal fence at the prison in Matraville and climbed over about 12pm.

Jason Neil Melbon (pictured in 2008) allegedly made a daring prison break from Long Bay jail on Monday.

Melbon broke his ankle as he jumped down the other side, before hobbling to a nearby home where police claim he attacked a woman as she unloaded items from her car at her home on Esperance Cl in Little Bay and forced her back into her vehicle, telling her: “Drive me towards Brighton (le-Sands)”.

The woman, who is a medical professional, drove him across Sydney’s south before the vehicle came to a stop at Battye Avenue in Beverley Park where she made a run from the vehicle and refused to give Melbon the keys.

Police sources said the woman then managed to call Triple-0 and police were quickly on the scene, with Melbon arrested on the same street.

Melbon was wanted by NSW Police more than a decade-and-a-half ago after allegedly shooting a woman in Botany, leading to a warrant for his arrest.

Police gather on Lilli Pilli Avenue in Beverley Park after the arrest of a prison escapee nearby. Photo: TNV

The man escaped from Long Bay Correctional Complex in Matraville. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

In the aftermath of that 2008 drama he allegedly hijacked a car at gunpoint, throwing the female driver onto the road before speeding off.

Prison sources said Melbon had just 12 months left to serve before he would be eligible for parole.

In a statement, a Corrective Services NSW spokesman said it was first noticed that he was missing at 12.30pm.

“The centre was immediately placed into locked down and specialist escape response officers deployed to patrol the perimeter,” the statement said.

“Officers identified the inmate as missing from the external grounds-maintenance crew.

“NSW Police apprehended the man at about 1:05pm. CSNSW will review the incident.

“When an inmate has previously escaped or attempted to escape from prison, they are reclassified to an escape category, which prevents them being held in minimum-security facilities in the future.”

In a statement, NSW Police said: “Shortly after 12pm today, officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command responded to reports that a 42-year-old man had escaped from a correctional centre at Long Bay.

“Police have been informed that the man assaulted a woman in her home along Esperance Close, Little Bay, before carjacking a vehicle in the same street and forcing the female driver to drive him to Sydney’s south.

A police dog joins the search for evidence in Beverley Park. Photo: TNV

“At Battye Avenue, Beverley Park, whilst the vehicle was stopped the man ran from the vehicle.

“Officers from St George Police Area Command were notified and after a short foot pursuit he was arrested in the same street. The man has been taken to Kogarah Police Station and is currently assisting officers.

“There were no reports of any person being seriously injured. The woman was taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital for observation.”