UPDATE 11.45PM:
The residents of Goulburn can rest easy now that Stephen Jamieson has been located and arrested by police.
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After an extensive manhunt and 10 hours on the run, Jamieson, who escaped from Goulburn Correctional Centre on Tuesday, August 18, was stopped while driving on the Hume Highway near Pheasants Nest at around 10.50pm on Tuesday night in what police will allege was a stolen car.
A Police Media spokeswoman said he is expected to be charged with escaping custody and stealing the car and will appear in court on Wednesday.
UPDATE 10.50PM:
As police continue to appeal for public assistance to locate a man who escaped from Goulburn Correctional Centre today, new information has been released about his clothing.
A man matching Stephen’s description was seen at the intersection of Common Street and Sydney Road, Goulburn, about 12.50pm. He was wearing a white t-shirt and dark-coloured shorts. Stephen has not been seen since.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 177cm tall, of thin build with a fair complexion and brown eyes.
Anyone who sights Stephen should not approach him but should contact Triple Zero (000) immediately.
UPDATE 8.30PM:
Goulburn Mulwaree Mayor Geoff Kettle interrupted Tuesday night's council meeting to take a call from Local Area Commander Superintendent Zoran Dzevlan.
Cr Kettle reported Mr Dzevlan had informed him that the escapee is still at large, and police believe he is still in Goulburn.
Cr Kettle reiterated that he had complete faith in NSW Corrective Services and NSW Police and their ongoing efforts to locate the escapee. He added that he hadn't received any phone calls from Goulburn residents voicing concerns about the escape.
Earlier
Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man who escaped from Goulburn Correctional Centre today.
It is understood the inmate, Stephen Jamieson, 28, tied bedsheets together to scale a prison wall. He was last seen in the vicinity of Goulburn Correctional Centre about 12.50pm Tuesday, August 18.
At the time, he was being held in a segregation cell with a small yard at its rear.
He was able to cut through parts of the metal gate at the back of the yard and climb the perimeter wall using a rope made of sheets.
He strapped a pillow to his stomach to assist in climbing over razor wire.
Police were immediately informed and commenced a search for the escapee.
The man-hunt continued into Tuesday afternoon, with Police and Corrective Services out in force.
Several dog squads had been dispatched to the Wollondilly River behind the jail and officers were guarding isolated residences and searching sheds.
PolAir scoured a wide area, broadcasting a description of Jamieson as it went.
More officers were stationed on the Sydney Rd bridge and Mortis St cemetery, while every available car from Goulburn and surrounds searched other parts of Goulburn.
At 4pm, Police could not confirm whether Mr Jamieson was still in the area or on the move.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 177cm tall, of thin build with a fair complexion and brown eyes.
When he was last seen, Stephen Jamieson was wearing prison greens.
Stephen Jamieson is a maximum security inmate, serving 12 years imprisonment for a range of serious offences, including armed robbery.
Jamieson, it has been confirmed, is being investigated for possible involvement in digging a cavity found in a workshop in the prison last month.
The escapee is not the Stephen "Shorty" Jamieson who was convicted of Janine Balding's murder.
Not so secure now
Just last month, Goulburn Mulwaree Mayor Geoff Kettle told the ABC the prison was "the strongest and most secure prison facility in New South Wales if not Australia."
The comments came after a small cavity was found behind a cabinet in a Jail workshop.
"I thought that there was a very adventurous American style prisoner," Mayor Kettle said at the time.
"I have complete confidence in the New South Wales Corrective Services department, particularly the Correctional Service staff at Goulburn Jail and Goulburn Super Max.
"They do a marvellous job and I don't doubt for a minute that it was the diligence of the staff that found this."
Mayor Kettle said it was unlikely any prisoner would be able to escape.
"There has been next to no escapes from Goulburn Correctional Centre and if there ever has been, they've been minimum security prisoners and if these guys are maximum security, they're in super max.
"They're in the strongest and most secure prison facility in New South Wales if not Australia."
Man had escaped before
At a media conference on Tuesday afternoon, NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin said the man had previously escaped jail while serving a prior sentence.
"There is clearly, absolutely no excuse for anybody being able to escape from maximum security," Mr Severin said.
"This is an incident that needs to be followed up very swiftly."
Mr Severin said that Jamieson was being held in the maximum security prison, not Goulburn Supermax.
“He was segregated in the prison but he was able to leave a small secure exercise yard,” confirmed Mr Severin in a press conference.
“He was able to use bed sheets to scale the wall. He used a pillow around his waist.'
Mr Severin said Corrective Services will investigate links between Jamieson’s escape and the discovery of a small “man-made cavity” at the jail earlier this month.
“A small cavity was earlier found which breached security. If there's a link, it needs to be established in an investigation,' Mr Severin said.
The Commissioner warned that anyone harbouring Jamieson risked prosecution and criminal charges.
Independent security review
Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin has announced an independent security review of the Goulburn Correctional Centre.
“This is a very serious incident that should not have happened," Commissioner Severin said.
Police are urging anyone with information in relation to these incidents to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/
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