Fugitive Drug Dealer Nabbed at Channel Tunnel After 22 Years on the Run
A drug dealer who vanished from prison more than two decades ago has finally been caught at the Channel Tunnel.
Michael Ashworth Snared at Eurotunnel
Kent Police arrested 57-year-old Michael John Ashworth as he tried to board a Eurotunnel shuttle to the UK early on Sunday, August 20, 2017. Ashworth, who has no fixed address, was charged with escaping lawful custody and appeared before magistrates on Monday, August 21.
Vanished 22 Years Ago While Serving Drug Sentence
- Ashworth absconded from HMP 1, an open prison in Derbyshire, in 1995.
- He was serving a five-year sentence for drug offences and had 18 months left.
- He failed to return from temporary release on April 23, 1995.
From Lancashire to Longtime Fugitive
The 5’7” white male hails from the Burnley and Colne areas of Lancashire. Convicted on November 29, 1994, Ashworth slipped under the radar for 22 years until his dramatic arrest at the Channel Tunnel site in Coquelles.
He is now remanded in custody as investigations continue.
