A prisoner was discovered hiding in a loft after escaping with a hoax bail letter.
Junead Ahmed, 36, of Warley Road, Brentwood, was convicted of fraud in 2023. While awaiting sentencing at HMP Chelmsford, Aaryan Noor Ali, 20, of Monteagle Avenue, Barking, sent the prison a fake order purporting to be from the Royal Courts of Justice that June.
The order appeared to be genuine and later that day, Ahmed was released. The alarm was raised after HMP Chelmsford received further release orders for two other prisoners the following day.
Checks on Ahmed identified contact with his wife Nazash Akhtar.
A search of an address in Greenway, Shenfield, to arrest 38-year-old Akhtar, revealed Ahmed hiding in the attic, where he was arrested.
Akhtar, Ahmed, and Ali all admitted to conspiracy to escape lawful custody. They were handed prison sentences of two years in jail suspended for two years, three years and three months, and two years and two months, respectively.
