GINTAUTAS URBONAS ESCAPES FROM PETERBOROUGH PRISON USING GARDENING GLOVES AND TOWEL ROPE
In a daring and carefully planned escape, Gintautas Urbonas, a 52-year-old convicted child sex offender, managed to break free from HMP Peterborough on the 26th of January.The incident unfolded when Urbonas, who was in the midst of serving a 12-year sentence for serious crimes including attempted child rape and child abduction, seized the opportunity during a routine gym session to execute his escape.
According to court proceedings, Urbonas utilized a pair of gardening gloves and a makeshift rope fashioned from face towels to aid his climb over the prison perimeter.
CCTV footage presented in Cambridge Crown Court depicted Urbonas approaching a gate, where he used a light, a pipe, and a satellite dish to scale a notably high wall surrounding the facility.
The footage showed him climbing with apparent ease, suggesting a level of premeditation and resourcefulness.
Prosecutor Marti Blair explained that prison officers initially believed Urbonas had simply run ahead of a group being escorted from the gym, unaware for some time that he had managed to get over the high wall and onto the roof.
It was only after a thorough search that authorities realized he had escaped, prompting a manhunt that lasted two days.
Urbonas was eventually located in the town of Peterborough, standing near a tree outside a private residence.
Remarkably, he approached police and admitted to calling them himself, claiming that his motive was to highlight what he perceived as an injustice regarding his sentence.
His actions drew attention to his resourcefulness and determination, but also to the danger he posed.
Following his recapture, Urbonas was returned to custody and subsequently sentenced to an additional 16 months in prison for his escape.
Judge Gareth Hawkesworth described him as a "dangerous man but a resourceful one," emphasizing the seriousness of his attempt to evade justice and the potential threat he still represented.
