Prison escapee and accused sex offender fronts court
A man who escaped from a jail near Ballarat after being slapped with serious sexual assault charges has been hauled back into court after being caught.
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A man facing serious sexual assault offences has been jailed for three months after escpaing from a minimum security prison near Ballarat.
Fugitive Daniel John Briffa, 50, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to one charge of escaping from prison on September 4, 2023.
He disappeared from Langi Kal Kal Correctional Centre, days after being charged with historical sex crime allegations.
His case on the sex charges was called for mention in the County Court on Monday.
Briffa was remanded back in custody to reappear on January 31 for a final directions hearing.
He had been on the wanted list for 22 days after disappearing from prison.
A day after going missing, Briffa was caught on CCTV at a convenience store in the Ballarat suburb of Alfredton.
When Briffa appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court for a remand hearing in October last year, he said he was withdrawing from methamphetamines and did not apply for bail.
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