Prisoner found at Waterlooville flat after walking out of HMP Ford told police 'he'd had enough'

Brian Chapman, 39, was spotted hiding his face and walking to the station by a probation officer who was driving to HMP Ford.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard she raised the alarm with prison guards, a roll call was held and he was discovered to have absconded.

Armed police found Chapman at a flat in Waterlooville nearly 10 days later on February 7 at 3.30pm.

‘In interview he admitted he’d had enough and he walked out,’ prosecutor Robert Bryan told the remote court hearing.

The court heard Chapman has previous convictions for assaults, and was given an imprisonment for public protection with a minimum 21-month term for robbery and grievous bodily harm offences in 2007.

He was out of jail by at the latest by March 2017 - when he was then sentenced to 12 weeks for assaulting a police officer.

Once back in custody he was moved from HMP Stocken in Oakham to HMP Ford, near Arundel, West Sussex, on October 21 last year.

By January 29 he decided he’d had enough and left the category D open jail. The roll call was held at 9.45am.

Today judge William Ashworth imposed a six-month jail sentence. But the court heard Chapman was not due to have a Parole Board hearing until next April, meaning he will stay in custody under his IPP until then.

Philip Allman, for Chapman, said: ‘He said he didn’t know why he did it. What he did communicate to me was that it was a regretful decision and one for which he has shown remorse.’

He added Chapman’s actions were ‘impulsive’ but he wanted to reintegrate into society when released.

Chapman admitted escaping lawful custody. He has previous for the same offence in 2007.

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