CCTV released in search for two men who absconded from HMP Leyhill

Independent.co reported that Avon and Somerset Police have released CCTV images believed to show convicted murderer Matthew Armstrong and a second prisoner, Daniel Washbourne, after they absconded from HMP Leyhill on New Year’s Day.

The force said Armstrong, 35, was convicted of murdering someone during a robbery in Warwickshire in 2009, and Washbourne, 40, has previous convictions for violence against a person and false imprisonment. Police said two men matching their descriptions were pictured in Ashley Road, Bristol, at 10.35am on Saturday walking towards the Stokes Croft area. On Sunday between 9.35am and 9.45am a man wearing a burgundy coat matching the one Armstrong wore when he left HMP Leyhill was seen on Filton Road and Gloucester Road North in Filton, pausing to look at bus timetables, and was later seen in Patchway between 11.05am and 11.15am.

Avon and Somerset Police said neither man is known to have any connection to the area and there is a "distinct possibility" they travelled outside it. The force added that Aaron Thomas, 39, was charged with escaping the prison after being arrested in Bristol on Saturday; he appeared before magistrates on Monday and is due to attend Bristol Crown Court next month.

Key Topics

World, Hmp Leyhill, Matthew Armstrong, Daniel Washbourne, Ashley Road, Bristol