Escaped Darwin teens break back into prison after two days, captured doing burnouts inside fence

Updated

Two teenagers have escaped from Darwin's youth detention and then smashed their way back into the prison with a car, performing burnouts inside the facility.

Police have confirmed the pair broke out of Don Dale Youth Detention Centre on Sunday night and then drove through a roller door at the front of the facility on Tuesday afternoon.

This is the same facility from which at least four prisoners escaped late last year, got drunk, and then broke back in.

The pair drove laps around the inside of the facility before finally surrendering to police, according to NT Police Commander Michael Murphy.

"During the escape they caused significant damage inside the complex and we will allege they stole a motor vehicle after breaching the perimeter," he said.

They ditched the car in the Darwin suburb of Stuart Park and then stole another motor vehicle that was detected on Tuesday by a motorist at a fuel station in the nearby suburb of Fannie Bay, he said.

"This led to a police pursuit that involved a number of resources," Commander Murphy said.

He said police pursued the pair to Don Dale Youth Detention Centre and the pair then rammed the front roller doors to enter the facility.

"They basically drove around inside the complex closely monitored by police," he said.

Police commanded the youths in the car to surrender but "it was obviously difficult with their mobility", Commander Murphy said.

"They weren't really listening to our request," Commander Murphy said. "At every opportunity we gave them a clear dynamic command to surrender."

Before they were recaptured, they allegedly stole a white hatchback, which could be seen doing laps inside the perimeter.

The elite NT Police Tactical Response Group, dog squad and paramedics were called to the prison.

Commander Murphy said the incident was resolved when a "surrender was successfully negotiated with the two youths".

He said no-one was hurt in the incident.

Other inmates broke out, broke back into same jail last year

In July 2014 the ABC reported at least four prisoners at the adult Berrimah jail — later shut down, renovated, and renamed the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre — had broken out of prison and the returned after getting drunk.

The group, and possibly other prisoners, were from time to time jumping a cyclone fence, getting picked up from a main road by partners and given alcohol and marijuana, before breaking back into prison a few hours later.

The deception was eventually discovered when five drunk prisoners were found fighting over a mobile phone.

"It is alleged that four of the prisoners had earlier climbed a perimeter fence to retrieve contraband items from someone on the outside," the department spokesman said at the time.

Break out 'very embarrassing', says prison boss

Speaking a day after the latest break out, NT Correctional Services commissioner Ken Middlebrook said he intended to do whatever was necessary to ensure inmates "don't get out of this facility again".

"The community of the Northern Territory expect me, when the courts send someone into custody ... to hold them [there].

"I find this whole episode very embarrassing for us and the department and it is something I just won't tolerate."

Mr Middlebrook announced experienced officers from the NT adult prison system would be rostered on to mentoring existing staff to "give them confidence" in dealing with young offenders.

Topics: police, youth, crime, darwin-0800

First posted