Probe over escape of prisoner armed with razor during hospital visit

Michal Kisiel, 30, went on the run from Salisbury Hospital at about 7pm yesterday and huge police hunt involving dogs, a helicopter and drones was still under way today.

Kisiel is believed to have a razor blade in his possession and police say he is dangerous and should not be approached.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ""A prisoner from HMP Erlestoke has escaped while on an escorted hospital visit on Tuesday, May 30.

"We are working closely with the police and are urgently investigating the matter."

Erlestoke prison governor Tim Knight passed all calls to the MoJ. The ministry has refused to comment on how many prison officer escorts were with Kisiel at the hospital and why it appears he had been released from handcuffs.

A spokesman would also not comment on how he managed to have a razor blade and if he had brought it with him from the prison it was not found during a search.

A spokesman for the Prison Officers' Association said that inmates would usually be accompanied by two or three officers during hospital visits and would remain in handcuffs unless a procedure meant it was impossible to keep them on.

A spokesman said: "This would not have been an issue about a lack of prison staff but it does again raise the questions we have been asking for some while about why dangerous and violent prisoners like this are put in a Category C prison so soon after sentencing.

"This is happening more and more and is causing huge problems."

Kisiel is understood to need treatment for a head wound. He is described as white, 5ft 6ins tall with blond hair and of medium build with tattoos on his neck. He was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a black t-shirt with blue trainers.

• UPDATE: Armed and dangerous prisoner may have had help to escape

Detective Inspector Mark Kent, from Salisbury CID, said: “CID in Salisbury have taken over the investigation and we are working closely with the Ministry of Justice and local policing teams.

"The search for Kisiel continues and we are exploring a number of leads, particularly looking at transport routes out of the city and liaison with our surrounding forces.

"A key line of enquiry is the fact that this may well have been a pre-planned escape and Kisiel may have had assistance.

"My officers will be conducting house to house enquiries in the area surrounding the hospital.

"We ask that anyone who has information on the location of Kisiel comes forward, he does require treatment for his head injury and is considered to be dangerous.

"The public should not approach him and should ring 999 immediately if they see him."

Late this afternoon Det Insp Kent said: "Police have received a large number of calls from the public with sightings all over the county unfortunately without any success in locating the prisoner.

"Police now believe he may have left the county although have not been able to confirm this.

"Kisiel has distinguishing tattoos which may help the public identify him. He has a tattoo stating ‘F*** the law’ on the right of his neck and on the left hand side a tattoo stating ‘Only God can judge me.’ He also has a tattoo of straight lines on his left arm.

“We have been working closely with forces across our borders to ensure that we follow every possible lead. 

“I would like to thank the public for all the information we have received and we would ask that they continue to reach out to us.

“Our priority is keeping the public safe and I repeat the advice that if you do see Kisiel, you must call 999 and please do not approach him.

“Local officers, in conjunction with our partners including the Ministry of Justice, continue to work together to maximise our information of this man’s know associates and previous connections to close in on his location.

”I would like to appeal to Michal's friends and to Michal himself - I would urge him to turn himself in and do the right thing. He is from the Luton area and we are liaising closely with Bedfordshire Police, who are also conducting enquiries in the area.

"Whilst we believe the link to Luton is significant we are keeping an open mind and will continue to follow up on reported possible sightings."

A picture of Michal Kisiel issued by Wiltshire Police

And Inspector Pete Sparrow said: "Public safety is our priority and we are doing everything we can to find this man. Extra hi-visibility reassurance patrols will be ongoing in the local area."

Kisiel was jailed in Luton in 2016 for five years and three months after subjecting a mother and her teenage daughter to a terrifying eight-hour ordeal. Brandishing knives, he taped the daughter to a chair and threatened to kill her and her mother.

At the hearing Judge Philip Bartle QC said: "For a mother to see her daughter treated in this way must have been truly terrifying, and it is an incident that will no doubt remain with them for a long time."

"You held the blade of the large knife to the mother's throat and she started to scream. Her daughter came into the kitchen and tried to pull you off her mother. You told both of them on a number of occasions that you were going to kill them and they believed you. They said you were really furious and full of hatred."

The judge said the daughter tried to raise the alarm via her computer, but when Kisiel saw her using it, he taped her arms to the chair with duct tape, where she remained for three hours.

In an impact statement, the mother said he had destroyed her life, and she was terrified his friends would seek revenge. She and her daughter had been sleeping downstairs with the lights on, for fear of going to bed.

Salisbury District Hospital declined to comment and would not say where in the hospital Kisiel was being treated.