A prisoner who escaped from a UK jail rang up his local newspaper to say that prison was driving him ‘insane’.
Greggor Grey, 42, absconded from HMP Sudbury, in Derbyshire, last Sunday, 15 May, with police subsequently launching a hunt for the escapee.
Grey, from Birmingham, has since got in touch with his local newspaper to tell them why he escaped before promising to return.
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After his escape, Grey called up Birmingham Mail to explain why he had escaped, saying: "We're in prison for the last 17 years. It's driving me insane."
Before going on to say he would hand himself in ahead of his next parole hearing on 14 June, he added: "I thought about just giving them the raw uncut emotion that I deal with on a daily basis."
Grey did not reveal his whereabouts during the call.
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The 42-year-old is reported to have served 17 years for armed robbery, having initially been subject of a three-year minimum Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP).
Offenders on the controversial IPP sentences were given a minimum term they must serve before being able to apply to the parole board.
They were scrapped back in 2012, with former Supreme Court justice Lord Brown branding them ‘the single greatest stain’ on the criminal justice system.
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However, the sentences were not ditched retrospectively, so those jailed on IPP sentences prior to 2012 are still subject to their terms and still have to apply to the parole board after serving their minimum term.
Police believe Grey could be hiding out in Leicester or Birmingham, and have asked members of the public not to approach him if they see him.
In a previous statement, Derbyshire Police said: "We are appealing for information after a convict absconded from HMP Sudbury. Greggor Grey left the open prison on Sunday 15 May.
"The 42-year-old who is serving a life sentence for robbery is described as Black, 5ft 11ins tall and of stocky build. He is known to use the aliases of Moses Blake, McGreggor Gray and Marcus Osbourne and has links to the Leicester and Birmingham areas.
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"Anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact Derbyshire police quoting reference 688-150522. If you see Grey, please do not approach him, but contact police immediately.
"You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org. In an emergency you should always call 999."
Claire Reid