Pentonville Prison: Ex-cellmate of attempted murderer on the run from jail brands security there 'a joke'

On the run: Matthew Baker and James Anthony Whitlock
Metropolitan Police
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A former cellmate of one of two prisoners on the run from Pentonville today branded security at the under-fire jail a “joke” as a manhunt for the fugitives continued.

Police have warned members of the public not to approach Matthew Baker, 28, who has been convicted of attempted murder, and James Whitlock, 31, who is facing burglary charges, as they “could become violent”.

They are believed to have used diamond-tipped cutting equipment smuggled in by drone to cut through bars before lowering themselves down a 20ft wall with a rope made from sheets.

Their disappearance at 10.40pm on Sunday was not discovered until more than 12 hours later. The escape has led to renewed calls for a review of conditions at the prison.

A 27-year-old former inmate, who said he had shared a cell with Baker — nicknamed Ginger — said: “Obviously Ginger’s not a nice guy because he stabbed someone, but there are far more dangerous guys there who could easily have got out. The security is a joke at Pentonville.”

The inmate, who was released from G-wing two weeks ago, said: “I used to sneak my kitchen knife back to the cell and wedge it in my cell door. From the outside it looked like it was locked and the guards never checked.

“After lights-out you can just open the door and go back into the social area. Everyone would do it.”

He claimed one inmate slipped out of the Victorian jail undetected two months ago to attend a family funeral before handing himself back in.

The Prison Governors Association said the breakout “marked a new low in the prison service on top of what has been already a humiliating decline in standards”.

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