A PRISONER accused of attempting to break out from a North-East jail has a previous conviction for escaping from custody, a jury was told.

Ifzal Zafar, along with another man William Downes, denies attempting to escape from HMP Kirklevington Grange, in Yarm, near Stockton, on May 21 last year after they had been locked up for the night.

Two other defendants, Dylan Thomas Conroy and Kenneth Bennett, have previously admitted the same charge and are awaiting sentence.

Prosecutor Michael Bosomworth read a number of agreed facts to the jury at Teesside Crown Court and described how 27-year-old Zafar had been convicted in 2005 of escaping from custody while at court.

Zafar and Downes, both now prisoners at HMP Northumberland, claim they had been let out to retrieve some belongings that had been thrown out of a cell block window, but “no-one was available to let them back in”.

Zafar was later found hiding under a Portakabin, while Downes was detained after a struggle having been seen running towards a perimeter fence.

David Rooks, an operations support officer at Kirklevington, said he was called upon to search what he described as a “sterile” area around the perimeter fence.

He said after their capture he escorted Zafar and Downes back to a segregation unit.

In the meantime a roll call had been conducted and it was discovered two other prisoners, Conroy and Bennett, were also missing.

They were found in bushes in a garden area and also taken to the segregation unit.

Michael Bosomworth, prosecuting, said: “They weren’t very well behaved were they?” Mr Rooks replied: “No”.

The court was told that six members of staff had been on duty. However when the alert was raised just after 8pm a number of off-duty officers were called to the prison, along with police.

Zafar, from Bradford, said while he was in an area he should not have been, he had no intention of escaping.

When interviewed by police he gave a series of ‘no comment’ answers.

Downes, 31, previously of Yarm Road, Stockton, is said by the prosecution to have climbed out of a high cell window and onto a roof in order to try and make his escape.

He was asked if he knew or associated with Zafar and told officers: “There is nothing to answer mate. I have not done anything wrong so it is no comment.”

The trial continues.