Prison Break Drama: Sex Offender Sparks Nationwide Hunt After Daring Escape
Paul Robson, 56, caused chaos across the country after he fled North Sea Camp prison on a bicycle, kicking off a frantic four-day manhunt. The life-sentenced sex offender, locked up for sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint, was caught trying to blend into the seaside town of Skegness.
Busted After Dummy Left in Bed
Robson, serving a life term, was transferred to low-security Category D North Sea Camp jail in late January. On February 13, prison staff found a dummy lying in his bed — and Robson was nowhere to be seen. He had slipped out after his cellmate fell asleep, triggering a nationwide search.
A member of the public later spotted him in Skegness, ending the run for the fugitive who had chosen the coastal town because it reminded him of his childhood.
From Quiet Cell to Cramped Conditions
Before the transfer, Robson lived mostly at HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire, isolated in a single cell. There, he kept busy with artwork and Buddhist meditation. But at North Sea Camp, he was crammed into a tiny cell with an Xbox-obsessed cellmate, losing the space and peace he needed.
“He was advised to do a jigsaw on his bed,” said defence lawyer Michael Cranmer-Brown. “He did not want to be moved but had no choice.”
Judge Hands Down Tough Sentence
Robson admitted absconding and was slapped with an extra eight months behind bars. Judge Simon Hirst ruled this will run alongside his life sentence, meaning Robson faces at least two more years before even thinking about parole.
