Liam Averill, a republican POW serving two life sentences, has
escaped from H8 in Long Kesh.
Phoblacht has learned that Averill, from Maghera in South
Derry, was in a safe house long before prison officers learned he
had escaped. The alarm was raised in the jail last night
(Wednesday) and as we go to press the Crown Forces are launching
a futile hunt for Averill in the area surrounding the prison in
rural County Antrim. Checkpoints have been set up on raods near
the jail, including the M1 Motorway.
Liam Averill's audacious and mysterious escape has left the
prison administration with very red faces. It comes just nine
months after a daring escape bid from H7 was foiled when a
partially dug tunnel collapsed. Republicans were then moved to H8
and it is from there that Liam Averill escaped yesterday. He was
just three years into a double life sentence.
As with all successful escapes, this will be a tremendous morale
booster for all republican prisoners and their supporters and a
source of deep embarrassment for those who seek to jail them.
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