Prisoner fled 'in moment of madness'

CAREER CRIMINAL WAS LOCATED ON THE A52 AFTER FIVE HOURS

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

A CAREER criminal with 94 previous court appearances on his record ran off into a farmer's field when he was being booked into an open prison in Derbyshire.

In what Derby Crown Court was told was “a sheer moment of madness,” John Arnold fled after scaling a fence at HMP Sudbury, near Ashbourne.

The 44-year-old, who has amassed 233 offences, was then found hours later on the A52 heading towards Nottingham.

Adding four months to the 57 months he is already serving for a robbery in Lincoln, Recorder Balraj Bhatia KC said: “I understand and accept what your counsel (barrister) has told me in that there was an argument in relation to your nine-year-old son, and in a sheer moment of madness you decided to go AWOL - Absent Without Leave - and escape from lawful custody.