One of the inmates Matthew Armstrong was convicted of murder in 2009
Two men, one a convicted murderer, have been arrested after absconding from prison on New Year’s Day.
Matthew Armstrong, 35, and Daniel Washbourne, 40, were arrested today (January 7) after absconding from HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire according to The Mirror.
A member of the public reported seeing Armstrong, who was arrested near Henley-in-Arden train station by Warwickshire Police officers just before midday.
Washbourne meanwhile was arrested at around 1.30am by Avon and Somerset Police officers in Bristol city centre.
Armstrong, 35, was convicted of murdering someone during a robbery in Warwickshire in 2009.
He has also been arrested on suspicion of robbery, in connection with an incident in a village near Leyhill that took place at around 6.45pm on December 31, the night before he absconded from HMP Leyhill.
Washbourne, 40, has previous convictions for offences of false imprisonment and violence against a person, according to police.
He was initially taken to hospital after officers found him with pre-existing injuries but is now in police custody.
Avon and Somerset Police released CCTV images of the pair on Tuesday.
The force spokesperson said: “Three men were initially reported to have absconded from the South Gloucestershire prison between 5-8pm on Thursday 1 January.
“CCTV shows the clothes Armstrong and Washbourne were wearing at the time, but we are conscious they may have changed clothes since.”
“Urgent actions were completed, including circulating the men as wanted via national police systems on New Year’s Day, out-of-force address checks, and intelligence work to trace the men’s potential movements.
“Efforts were also made through other forces to inform the victims and families of the absconders’ previous offences, to try to ensure they learned of the news as sensitively as possible from police.”
