Armed robber arrested in bar hours after escaping from prison

Shelton Abbey inmate returned to custody after troops join search

Shelton Abbey escape: the inmate was serving a sentence for armed robbery. Photograph: Garry O’Neill
Shelton Abbey escape: the inmate was serving a sentence for armed robbery. Photograph: Garry O’Neill

A prisoner who escaped on Sunday night from Shelton Abbey open prison, in Co Wicklow, was arrested a few hours later in a pub. The man, who vanished around midnight, prompted authorities to seek assistance from the Defence Forces. Fifty troops were sent from Cathal Brugha Barracks, in Dublin, to search for the man, an armed robber. He was detained in a bar in Arklow early on Monday afternoon and returned to custody. Prisoners at Shelton Abbey are generally near release.