Two days after being sentenced to four years imprisonment, prisoner John Lambert, during the wee hours of yesterday morning, escaped from the Lusignan Holding Bay.
Police and prison authorities have since issued a wanted bulletin for Lambert, 24, of Lot 158 North Haslington, East Coast Demerara. He was jailed for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
A statement from the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) yesterday said that at approximately 3:39 am, Lambert escaped from the Lusignan Holding Bay #3 after he scaled the south-eastern fence.
While in the act of escaping, a rank manning the observation post noticed his attempt and called out to Lambert to desist from his action. Lambert, a former soldier in the Guyana Defence Force, continued with his escape plan and the rank was forced to discharge several rounds in his general direction, the statement said. Lambert was able to dodge the bullets.
Nonetheless, the sound of the gunshots ringing out raised an alarm leading ranks on duty to respond.
As a result, the prison service said, ranks from the Prison Service Taskforce and the standby police ranks at Lusignan were immediately deployed as per the emergency response systems.
The Operation Room was also informed which resulted in the timely dissemination of information to the Director and others senior officers.
According to the records of the prison, Lambert was admitted to prison last Friday after being found guilty of trafficking 1,456 grams of cannabis. He was sentenced to serve four years imprisonment and to pay a fine of $30,000 at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
The prison service is collaborating with the police force in the recapture operations. The Lusignan Prison has been buffeted by a number of problems over the years including the escapes of prisoners.
