Convicted triple attempted murderer escapes prison after car valet shift | UK | News
John Laidlaw escaped from prison (Image: Cleveland Police)
Police launched a manhunt after a prisoner escaped while working as a valet in a car.
John Laidlaw, who was serving time for three attempted murders, disappeared following his car valet shift at Kirklevington Grange Prison in Stockton-on-Tees on Monday afternoon (May 4).
The 44-year-old man works in the prison’s public car valet service.
He escaped shortly after 2 p.m. from the prison, where he had recently been on a “regular unsupervised day release,” according to Cleveland Police.
She was reported missing to police just after 4.30pm.
When John was last seen, he was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt, blue cargo-style pants and white-and-blue sneakers.
Officers are deploying dogs and a drone to track down the fugitive while combing through CCTV footage.
The public is strongly advised not to approach him.
Laidlaw, from Hertfordshire, was convicted of three attempted murders and jailed in 2007.
He was transferred to Kirklevington Prison in 2024.
Laidlaw was convicted of attempting to murder three passers-by in north London in 2006.
He was on parole following an earlier racist attack when he went on a ‘shooting spree’ in Islington and Finsbury Park.
The court heard he “threatened to kill all black people” before being found guilty of attempting to murder Mr Kamara, Mr Baptiste and Ms Sheridan in attacks captured on CCTV.
Abu Kamara, a 44-year-old black social worker, was shot in the neck while going for an after-work drink.
Later that evening, Laidlaw opened fire on another black man, Evans Baptiste, in a busy tunnel leading to Finsbury Park tube station, and Emma Sheridan was caught in the crossfire.
He was also found guilty of two firearms possession charges.
Inspector John Wrintmore said on Monday evening: “John Laidlaw was reported missing to Cleveland Police at around 4.30pm today.
“We have officers and dogs conducting ground searches around the prison and have deployed the drone as we continue our efforts to locate him. “We are also working rapidly on CCTV footage and carrying out a number of investigations.
“John is not from this area so we currently have no clue where he was going or whether he was heading north or south from Yarm railway station.
“Whilst I understand there may be concerns among people in the local area, I can say that we know that John was regularly released from prison unsupervised.
“Anyone who thinks they may have seen John is asked not to approach him but to call 999.”
