Strange But True: Longest Escape From Custody

Did you know that John Patrick Hannan holds the record for the longest escape from custody?

After he used a knotted bed sheet to climb over the walls of the Verne Prison in Portland, Dorset, in December 1955.

He was 22 year old at the time of his great escape and has now notched up six decades at large.

Although he is technically still a wanted man, Dorset police gave up searching for Hannan almost 20 years ago after the last high-profile appeal yielded no results.

Hannan would now be aged 81 and is thought to be living back in his home country of Ireland.

Hannan was sentenced to 21 months behind bars for stealing a car and assaulting two police officers, but he broke out from the facility with fellow inmate Gwynant Thomas after just 30 days by using a knotted bed sheet to climb over the wall.

Thomas was later returned to the prison, but Hannon has been on the run for over sixty years

After escaping, they then burgled a nearby gas station and stole overcoats, beer and cigarettes before leaving the isle.

In 2001, Hannan overtook double killer Leonard Fristoe’s record of 45 years and 11 months as a fugitive. In 1998, Dorset Police appealed directly to Hannan to give himself up, writing in a force newsletter: “If you read this Mr. Hannan please write in, we’d love to hear from you.”
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