Man who absconded from North Sea Camp open prison in Boston is charged

He'll appear at South Derbyshire Magistrates on Saturday morning

Author: Sam PidouxPublished 4th Jun 2022

A convicted sex offender who absconded from North Sea camp open prison in Boston has been charged with escape of lawful custody.

Gary Butcher, 55, handed himself in, in Derbyshire on Friday 3 June.

He'll appear at South Derbyshire Magistrates Court on Saturday morning before being returned to a closed condition prison.

Gary Butcher, who has a number of convictions for sex attacks on women, left HMP North Sea Camp near Boston, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday 2 June.

Lincolnshire Police said that Butcher was serving a life sentence for aggravated burglary. His previous offending included serious sexual offences.

This news comes just over three months after another convicted sex offender, Paul Robson, absconded from the same prison.

It took police four days to arrest Robson, who was described as a "particular danger to women and young children."

Gary Butcher

After Robsons arrest, the Justice Secretary insisted the number of criminals who abscond from prison is "very low" and confirmed he would be personally reviewing requests to move high-risk offenders to open jails.

A 56-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

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