A view from a living hell

“Prison systems operate on the basis that you can’t have an excuse for escaping from them,” Dr Vinson explained. “The law must be upheld, but on the other hand this was not escape from a lawful place of custody, but an unlawful place of custody. That was the theme of my evidence.” 

Dr Vinson explained how his testimony during the Cox trial created the historical legal precedent.

“The only way the court was rescued from an impossible dilemma was the last minute discovery that Katingal had never been proclaimed as a prison,” he said. “Therefore Mr Cox could not be charged with having escaped from a lawful place of custody.”

The demolition of Katingal concludes the final chapter of the prison that never was. And in the immortal words of Johnny Cash - may it burn and rot in hell.