Prisoner, Shawn Yhap, who escaped almost one week ago, was recaptured by the police yesterday afternoon at LBI, East Coast Demerara.

Shawn Yhap

According to a police press release, acting on information received ranks were able to recapture the prisoner at approximately 2.30 pm in the LBI area.

Yhap, a 32-year-old inmate of the Camp Street prison was among seven who were taken to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on Saturday to play the steel band. However, Yhap who was a `trustee’ was discovered missing between 8:15 and 8:30 pm when prisoner officers were preparing to take the group back to the prison.

It is unclear when or how the prisoner managed to escape unseen. He was only discovered missing when prison officers were preparing to take the group back to the Camp Street prison that night.

The prisoner, a 32-year-old resident of Middle Road, La Penitence, was serving a 12-month sentence for larceny of a motor cycle and was scheduled for release in November. It is unclear at what point the convict escaped.

In an invited comment last Monday Prison Director Dale Erskine had told Stabroek News that Yhap was a member of the Prison Services Steel Pan group and on the day of his escape, he along with six others were taken to the airport to play.

According to Erskine, Yhap who has been convicted more than three times never attempted to escape before and at the time of his escape he was a “trustee”. When “trustees” are in the public domain they are supervised but are not handcuffed.