Drug dealer who escaped from prison spent nine years in plain sight

A fugitive who escaped from prison spent nine years living in plain sight under his own name and paying tax in Britain.

In a shocking indictment of the criminal justice system, drug dealer Robert Fitzgerald, 38, evaded capture for the best part of a decade - despite making no attempt to hide his identity.

He had been sentenced to seven years and four months for supplying cocaine and was moved to HMP Ford in East Sussex for the last 18 months of his term before absconding on November 8, 2015.

Sussex Police launched a manhunt and a public appeal at the time, but Fitzgerald was not detained until August - despite spending years working and paying taxes under his own name.

Detectives warned the public not to approach him and said it was thought he would head to London, where he had connections - but it has emerged he had been living and working in Oxford.

The former fugitive admitted absconding from lawful custody at Oxford Crown Court on Friday and will be sentenced on October 8 after more information about his time on the run has been gathered.

He told the court: ‘I have been working in my own name and paying tax since 2018.’

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A Sussex Police spokesman said that when Fitzgerald initially vanished it explored ‘all reasonable lines of enquiry’ until the investigation was scaled back in 2016.

He came to the attention of the financial authorities last December and police arrested him in August, the spokesman added.

Fitzgerald’s lawyer Gordana Austin said: ‘Mr Fitzgerald is someone who has been at large for a significant period of time, almost nine years.

‘He was living and working in Oxford using his name. He understands what type of sentence he is likely to receive.’

Fitzgerald will serve the rest of his original sentence for dealing cocaine at HMP Bullingdon and will likely receive an additional custodial period on top of that sentence for fleeing.

Judge Nigel Daly admitted he was baffled by the case, remarking: ‘Well, quite clearly I am going to need something about him, in particular what he has been doing for the last eight and a half years and why he has not been found before now.

‘One of the things I am going to have to consider is his conduct while was in prison. I know he was transferred to Ford open prison and they do not send people there unless they are doing particularly well.

‘You have pleaded guilty to this matter which obviously goes to your credit, but you should be aware that it is almost inevitable that you will get a custodial sentence which is likely to be added to your current sentence.

‘We are going to find out what you have been doing for the intervening years and how you got on in prison before you disappeared.’

A Sussex Police spokesman said: ‘Absconding from prison is a serious offence and Sussex Police carried out an intensive investigation, alongside its partners, to locate this individual as soon as he absconded in 2015.

‘All reasonable lines of enquiry were explored - including financial checks - and in 2016 the investigation was scaled back pending new information coming to light.

‘Efforts to locate this individual have been kept under constant review for a number of years, which included collaboration with a range of agencies and police forces and assessment of any potential risk to the wider public.

‘In December 2023, the individual came to the attention of financial authorities, who alerted Sussex Police.

‘Attempts were made to locate and bring him into custody, with our partners, and he was ultimately detained by Thames Valley Police in August, 2024.’