Man who escaped from Pardelup Prison Farm, sparking 16-hour manhunt, receives more prison time

A man stuffed clothing under a blanket in his Pardelup Prison Farm cell to fool officers into thinking he was asleep in his bed before escaping and sparking a 16-hour manhunt. Blake Michael Cavanough, 26, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday by video link from Albany Regional Prison, receiving an extra three months in prison for one charge of escaping from lawful custody. On October 24, Cavanough escaped from the 2630ha minimum-security facility off Muir Highway, walking almost 40km towards Rocky Gully before hitchhiking to the town. He was apprehended by police while sitting at a table at the Rocky Gully General Store cafe. Police prosecutor Sergeant Dave Loverock told the court Cavanough escaped from Pardelup Prison Farm late at night on October 24. Sgt Loverock said about 10.50pm, the prisoner placed clothing under a blanket to give the impression he was asleep, before leaving the prison on foot. When prison officers did a routine cell check later in the night, they realised Cavanough was missing. He was taken into custody at Rocky Gully General Store about 3pm the next day, ending a police search that lasted 16 hours. Legal Aid duty lawyer Graeme Payne said Cavanough was serving an 11-month prison sentence, initially at Albany Regional Prison, before moving to Pardelup Prison Farm. He received the 11-month sentence in August. He said the man had been struggling with mental health issues at Pardelup and felt staying there “wouldn’t be safe for him”. Cavanough did not have a “fixed view” of what he was going to do after escaping from the prison, Mr Payne said. After arriving in Rocky Gully, he entered the general store, still wearing his green prison uniform, and sat down in the cafe to wait for police to arrive. Sgt Loverock told the court additional prison time would be an appropriate punishment. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan said Cavanough’s escape had “jeopardised” the order of the prison. “Thankfully there were no further incidents and you surrendered yourself once you’d been located,” she said. Ms Scaddan said Cavanough’s escape strategy — which included creating what looked like a body sleeping in his bed — included a degree of planning, “albeit rudimentary”. “There was subterfuge and planning because you put the clothes under the blanket,” she said. She sentenced him to an additional three months in prison.