FIVE inmates who fled a Suffolk jail and were subsequently recaptured have been given further prison sentences for escaping.

The men all left the open unit at Hollesley Bay, near Woodbridge within the past 18 months.

Two more inmates are also due to be sentenced soon.

Once they are recaptured absconders are returned to the prison system and lose the privilege of being in an open unit.

Scott Butcher, 23, from Colchester, fled Hollesley Bay in September last year and was detained in Lancaster by Lancashire Police the following month.

He recently appeared at Preston Crown Court and was ordered to serve an extra 26 weeks in prison, less 45 days already spent inside.

Keith Miller, 28, from Great Yarmouth, who absconded in October, received a nine-month consecutive sentence at Peterborough Crown Court earlier this month after being arrested in Milton Keynes in December.

Tony Benstead, 37, who has connections with Ilford in Essex, absconded in March last year and was recaptured by Metropolitan Police towards the end of the month.

He appeared at Ipswich Crown Court in November and was sentenced to a further nine months consecutive to his existing sentence.

Tommy Williams, 23, who has connections in Essex, fled in September last year and was found on the A1214 at Pinebrook in Ipswich.

He appeared before Ipswich Crown Court a few days later and was given a six month prison term, to run concurrently with his existing sentence.

Lee Cooper, 28, who has links with Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, was handed a further eight month prison sentence after fleeing Hollesley Bay in July 2009.

He was arrested and held at Harlow Police Station in October of that year but was sentenced in July.

Two other cases are pending after they were adjourned until March.

Wayne Ward, 41, from Southend-on-Sea, absconded in December and was recaptured in Southend earlier this month.

He initially appeared at Essex South East Magistrates on January 3.

Dennis Jackson, 37, who has connections with the London area, absconded in April last year and was recaptured in October by Metropolitan Police in Kennington.

He initially appeared at Camberwell Green magistrates court on October 21.

Detective chief inspector Phil Boswell, of Suffolk Constabulary, said: “We have been working with the prison and the Crown Prosecution Service to put those who abscond back before the courts when they are recaptured and recently this has resulted in additional custodial terms.

“These absconders have breached the trust placed in them and we hope the sentences given are a sufficient deterrent to others.

“Those at Hollesley are usually nearing the end of their sentence and to be sent back to a closed prison to serve additional months is often a significant punishment.”