Jack Downey was on his way to custody when he broke out of a prison van
13:47, 17 Jul 2025Updated 14:03, 17 Jul 2025
Jack Downey, 28, from the Maghull
A manhunt is underway after a prisoner escaped from a transport van. At around 5.50pm on Tuesday, July 15, Jack Downey was being transported from Copy Lane custody suite by a prisoner transport contractor when he escaped.
Following an area search, he remains missing. Downey, a 28-year-old man from Maghull, had been wanted on recall to prison after being released. He had been convicted of aggravated vehicle taking and had breached the terms of licence.
Downey is white, 5ft 4in tall, of medium build with black hair and brown eyes.
When last seen, Downey was wearing a yellow jacket, light-coloured hoodie, dark trousers and Nike Air Max ‘110’ trainers.
As part of ongoing enquiries, a 45-year-old woman from Maghull has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
A 23-year-old man from Netherton has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Both have been taken into custody for questioning.
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Suffield said: “We understand the concern that this incident will cause, so it is vital that Downey’s face is out there and he is brought back into custody as soon as possible.
“If you have heard from him or know where he is, do the right thing and come forward. Assisting Downey in any way will bring police to your door, so it is not an association worth keeping.
“If you see Downey, please call 999 immediately. We are carrying out extensive enquiries to find him and return him to custody.
“If you live in the Copy Lane area of Netherton and saw Downey making off, please let us know. We are already checking local residents and businesses for CCTV and other footage but please come forward if we have not already spoken to you.”
Call 999 if you see him. You can also contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’, via the force’s website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or call 101 quoting incident reference 25000583219.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.