Gregory Shane Kirkland harboured escapee who feared he would be killed in jail

A man who hid a young friend and booked him a ticket out of the state did so to protect him, a court has been told

AN Upper Natone man who harboured an escapee and booked him a ticket on the Spirit of Tasmania did so to protect him from being harmed in prison, a court has heard.

The Burnie Magistrate’s Court was told Gregory Shane Kirkland, 58, had been married to escapee Braydon Stanley’s grandmother for 10 years and had known the younger man since he was four years old.

In 2019, 26-year-old Stanley was the victim of a shooting.

Stanley received a notice to attend court for preliminary proceedings in the case against the person who shot him but did not turn up.

In September last year, Stanley was arrested at his home at Irishtown on a warrant for failing to appear.

He was taken to the Burnie Police Station but as he was being remanded in custody he saw an opportunity and fled the station on foot.

Stanley stole a car from the nearby railway yards and was on the run for four days before being arrested at the Spirit of Tasmania terminal in East Devonport.

In December, Stanley was sentenced to two years in prison for escape and a string of other charges, including motor vehicle theft.

HOW BRAYDON WILLIAM STANLEY ESCAPED BURNIE POLICE STATION

Braydon William Stanley, who escaped police custody in Burnie.

Magistrate Tamara Jago was told Kirkland learned about Stanley’s escape and picked him up from the Burnie suburb of Shorewell. He then took Stanley to Upper Natone where he stayed in Kirkland’s caravan.

The older man booked two tickets on the ferry and the pair travelled to the terminal where police recognised the escapee – despite wearing makeup to disguise himself – and the pair were arrested.

Kirkland, a musician, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of harbouring an escaped prisoner.

Defence counsel Adrian Hilly said Stanley feared he would be killed in jail and had asked Kirkland to help him.

“He harboured him and bought tickets to try to help him leave Tasmania but he was not involved in his escape,” Mr Hilly told the court.

“He felt he couldn’t refuse and needed to protect Stanley.”

Kirkland has a prior conviction for interfering with a witness.

Magistrate Jago said he wanted to read Kirkland’s psychiatric report in detail and have a report prepared on his suitability for detention.

He will be sentenced on May 19.