Prisoner caged for jailbreak (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Prisoner caged for jailbreak

A burglar and sex attacker from Swindon who escaped from prison after meeting his parents for the first time in years has been jailed for six months.

Ross Dixon was serving a six-year prison sentence for burglary, involving violence, at HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire when he absconded on August 1 this year.

The 36-year-old, formerly of County Road, Swindon, claimed he had been "emotionally charged" after seeing his parents on home leave before returning to jail.

Brian Pixton, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court yesterday, said Dixon was granted the leave in July this year and went to Weymouth.

He then returned to Leyhill on July 29, however three days later he was discovered missing.

"On August 1 he absconded. He should have gone to work on a farm but his absence was not discovered until after 11am.

"He gave himself up four days later at Newport Central Police Station in Wales and he was arrested," said Mr Pixton.

"He said he had gone to his brother's and his parents were there. He had not seen them for four years and the turmoil caused him, on the Monday morning, to abscond.

"He went to Wales because he thought the police would not think of looking for him there," said Mr Pixton. He said the defendant had convictions for 39 other offences including a serious sexual offence on a woman.

The court heard how in March 2003 Dixon was jailed for eight years for a burglary that involved violence against the occupiers of a property. The sentence was reduced to six years on appeal.

Ruth Armstrong, defending, said the defendant had been "very surprised" to see his parents, who are also from Swindon, and that the meeting had caused an "avalanche of feelings."

Jailing Dixon for six months starting yesterday, Judge Julian Lambert said: "The transfer to an open prison requires trust. Abuse of that position of trust renders your escape very serious."