A prisoner who escaped custody while on a visit to a Dublin hospital for medical treatment has been re-arrested by gardai.
Keith Macken, who is in his 40s and from Cabra, was brought to Tallaght Hospital for treatment after feeling unwell at Wheatfield Prison. Macken had been remanded in the custody of Wheatfield Prison late last year pending sentencing on an assault charge.
The inmate had been receiving treatment at Tallaght Hospital in recent days but escaped from custody at about 6am on Saturday morning. Gardaí were notified immediately and a manhunt was launched.
In a statement issued on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said: “The Irish Prison Service can confirm that a prisoner has escaped from lawful custody while on escort to Tallaght Hospital this morning.
“An Garda Síochána were notified immediately and provided with all the relevant information in relation to the prisoner. The Irish Prison Service is currently investigating the circumstances of the escape.”
The Irish Prison Service confirmed on Monday that the prisoner has been returned to custody. “The Irish Prison Service can confirm that An Garda Síochána have re-arrested the person in question and they have been returned to custody,” a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said.
The prison service said an investigation into the circumstances of the escape is continuing.
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