Prisoner escapes Wormwood Scrubs by slipping away from guards on hospital trip
The 63-year-old prisoner is believed to have escaped early Thursday morning while receiving medical treatment at Hammersmith Hospital.
A prisoner has escaped from Wormwood Scrubs during a hospital visit, sparking a massive police manhunt.
Graham Gomm, 63, got away from guards at Hammersmith Hospital, where he was receiving medical treatment.
The prisoner was remanded on burglary offences and is believed to have escaped in the early hours of Thursday. He was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt and grey tracksuit.
The Metropolitan Police said it was searching the area and addresses with links to Gomm, while urging the public not to approach him.
The Met said: "Officers are carrying out searches, working closely with partners, conducting CCTV enquiries and have visited a number of addresses linked to Gomm.
"Detectives are also concerned for Gomm’s welfare as he was undergoing medical care before he escaped. There is nothing to suggest that Gomm is a threat to the public. If anyone sees Gomm they are asked not to approach him but they should call 999."
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It's the second time in three years a prisoner has gone missing from the facility. In 2021, Manray Woolfall also eluded staff during a hospital transfer and went on the run for several days before being captured.
Wormwood Scrubs is a men’s prison in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London.
According to the Home Office website, the Victorian prison, which is nearly 150 years old, houses some 1,200 inmates in a mixture of single and shared cells.
There are five main wings (A to E) plus several smaller specialist units.
A Prison Service spokesperson said the Ministry of Justice is working with The Met to track down Gomm and arrest him. They said: “We are urgently working with the Metropolitan Police to recapture this prisoner and investigating how he was able to escape from hospital.”
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Facilities include book rooms on all wings and a fully equipped gym. The prison also has a multi-faith chaplaincy team providing support those inside.
Notable former prisoners at Wormwood Scrubs include the infamous Moors Murderer Ian Brady, Charles Bronson, and several members of the IRA.
In October 1966, a KGB double-agent inmate named George Blake escaped from the prison and fled to the then-communist USSR. Blake remained in Russia until he died in 2020.
