NT Government accused of cover-up after killer Malcolm Morton escapes Alice Springs prison

The NT Government has been accused of a cover-up after one of the Territory’s most dangerous killers escaped from custody, stole a car and crashed it before being recaptured

Malcolm Morton stabbed his uncle to death when he was just 14. Picture: SUPPLIED

ONE of the Territory’s most dangerous killers has escaped from custody, stealing a car and crashing it before being recaptured.

Malcolm Morton, who when he was just 14 years old stabbed his uncle to death, escaped during one of his regular visits to a mental health facility within the grounds of the Alice Springs prison after a health worker gave him a set of keys to “play with”.

Morton used the keys to escape from the facility last April, stealing a vehicle that was parked outside. He was on the loose for about 30 minutes before he crashed the car and was apprehended.

The Territory Government has now been accused of a cover-up after failing to inform the public about the incident.

“I think it’s a bit of an irony from a government that’s going to be open and accountable that we only hear about it nine months later,” Opposition Leader Gary Higgins said last night. “They put out press releases about the opening of an envelope but they don’t put any press releases out about an escape from prison.”

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said it was “not good enough” that the incident was not made public when it occurred.

“The public should have been made aware of this incident as soon as possible,” he said. The escape occurred just a month after Mr Gunner ridiculed the former CLP administration for allowing convicted murderer Edward Horrell to escape from a work camp in Nhulunbuy.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner.

Opposition Leader Gary Higgins.

“We have not had a situation under Labor where an axe-murdering rapist has been on the loose,” Mr Gunner said last March, when defending his Government’s record on community safety in the wake of nine escapes since it came to power. Mr Higgins said those words had now come back to haunt the chief minister.

“For a government that keeps blaming everyone else for everything that happens, when they do something wrong, they don’t admit to it,” he said. Morton has been held in a special cell in the high security unit of the Alice Springs prison since 2009, when he was deemed unfit to plead because of mental impairment.

He is held in the prison because the Northern Territory does not have an appropriate secure care facility in which to house him.

Every aspect of his behaviour is closely monitored, from the food that he eats, to the temperature in his air-conditioned cell. But in a major procedural failure, Morton was allowed to let himself out on April 23 last year. Two Health Department workers resigned over the incident and Health Minister Natasha Fyles ordered a critical incident review.

Acting Health Minister Eva Lawler said the review had delivered several recommendations, including roster changes to ensure management were always present on weekends.

Auditors KPMG were also engaged to “review the organisational structure, eligibility, legislation and service requirements of the Specialist Support and Forensic Disability Unit”.

Morton is subject to a Custodial Supervision Order that is overseen by the Supreme Court. The court reviews his case each year and the incident was reported to the court last May as part of that review.

Mr Gunner said that as part of his order, Morton should have been subjected to supervision 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“These orders are in place to protect the community and the community should have been informed of the breach in security,” he said.

“Mr Morton was not part of a work program, he momentarily escaped while attending the Department of Health’s Secure Care Facility and was quickly apprehended.

“While the incident was short lived, with Mr Morton apprehended just outside the facility, the public should expect to be notified when these sorts of incidents occur.”