Escaped prisoner arrested and back in custody

A prisoner who was convicted of attacking two women is back in custody after escaping while being taken to hospital.

Marwan Jumaa, 20, absconded after being transferred from a secure hospital facility to North Manchester Hospital for medical treatment on Tuesday evening.

Police had issued an urgent appeal for any information or intelligence on the Sudanese national's whereabouts but announced in the early hours of Friday that he had been arrested by a member of Lancashire Constabulary.

A video of the prisoner caught on CCTV casually walking out of the hospital in a light blue T-shirt was circulated by police, who thanked everyone who shared their appeal.

Court records show that in January this year Jumaa pleaded guilty to three offences at Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London.

The offences were assaulting an emergency worker, a police officer; the robbery of a woman; and inflicting grievous bodily harm on a second woman, all committed on 17 July last year in London.

Jumaa had been held at HMP Belmarsh in March and sentenced for the offences in April this year.

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Detective Superintendent Nicola McCulloch, of GMP's serious crime division, said: "This has been a fast-paced investigation which has involved a significant number of officers and resources from Greater Manchester Police.

"An observant Lancashire Constabulary officer recognised Jumaa and acted swiftly to arrest him. He will now be returned to a secure hospital facility.

"I would like to thank the public for their support following our appeal. Our call handlers received a considerable amount of information from members of the public, and that assistance has been invaluable in helping us locate Jumaa.

"We are extremely grateful for the support shown throughout this investigation."

(c) Sky News 2026: Escaped prisoner arrested and back in custody