ITV’s The Lady charts the rise and fall of Jane Andrews – but it leaves out one important chapter: her prison escape.
The series follows Andrews (played by Mia McKenna-Bruce) from her early days in retail to Buckingham Palace, where she becomes an aide to Sarah Ferguson.
Years after being dismissed, she kills her boyfriend, Tom Cressman. The series may cover her trial and imprisonment, but not the moment she literally walked out of prison.
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When did Jane Andrews escape prison?
Andrews absconded from HMP East Sutton Park in November 2009, eight years into her life sentence.
She had previously been held at HM Prison Bullwood Hall in Essex before being transferred to the open prison in Kent.
Her absence was discovered during the 8pm roll call, triggering a police search across the county.
Lucinda Ellery-Sharp – believed to be an inspiration for characters in the drama – said she was “astonished, staggered, and stunned” when she heard the news.
Three days later, a taxi driver took Andrews’ parents, June and David, and her brother to a Premier Inn around six miles from the prison. Suspicious, he alerted police. Andrews was found there and returned to custody.
According to The Telegraph, she had apparently slept rough before arriving at the hotel and was “covered in mud and wrapped in a scarf” when she checked in.
She was later transferred to HMP Holloway in London.
How did she get out – and why did she escape?
East Sutton Park is an open prison. These institutions house low-risk offenders who are not considered likely to abscond.
An independent parole board had approved Andrews’ transfer, as reported by The Guardian.
Her escape is widely believed to have been linked to Mark Ellson, her prison pen pal. Ellson had been jailed for fraud and began writing to Andrews while both were incarcerated.
He later claimed she “latched” onto him and became “obsessive” (via The Mirror).
When he allegedly failed to meet her in November 2009, she fled.
Was Jane Andrews charged for absconding?
No. The Crown Prosecution Service ultimately decided it was “no longer in the public interest” to prosecute her for escaping.
The decision followed consideration of two neuropsychiatric reports that were not available when she was first charged.
After her murder conviction, Andrews had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. While this diagnosis did not overturn her life sentence, it appears to have factored into the CPS’ decision not to pursue the absconding charge.
Victim’s brother said he was “traumatised”
Rick Cressman, Tom’s brother, strongly criticised both the prison system and the CPS decision.
He accused then-justice secretary Jack Straw of “complete and utter incompetence” over the handling of her incarceration.
“If the prison service cannot deal with a 42-year-old 5ft 4 inch woman who has been classed as vulnerable – who can they deal with?” he said.
“The whole fiasco has left me traumatised and depressed and I feel like I did that night when my brother was murdered.”
When prosecutors confirmed she would not be charged, he said he was “horrified” (via BBC News).
“If it’s not in the public interest to deal with a convicted murderer who has escaped from prison, I don’t know what is,” he said.
Read more: The Lady cast vs real-life people in pictures – and Fergie looks really similar
The Lady is available to stream on ITVX now.
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