17 July 2021

Woman arrested over daylight prison break hit with more charges

| Albert McKnight
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Lila Rose Mary Walto

Lila Rose Mary Walto has been charged as police allege she is connected to a prison break. Photo: Facebook.

A woman accused of being involved in a daring daylight prison escape earlier this month is facing a raft of extra charges.

According to ACT Policing, the drama began at about 4:00 pm last Friday (9 July) when a white Jeep 4WD allegedly rammed into an ACT Corrective Services’ transport car on Oxley Street in Griffith.

While still wearing handcuffs, prisoner Kane Quinn, 28, allegedly escaped from the Toyota Camry, and a woman drove him away from the crash site in the Jeep. Police later found the Jeep torched in Forrest.

But Quinn’s bid for freedom was short-lived as police allegedly found him hiding in the roof of a Lyneham house at about 9:00 pm that night.

Police also arrested 28-year-old Lila Rose Mary Walto, who appeared over audio-visual link in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday (16 July).

READ MORE Dramatic prisoner escape ends with surrender in Lyneham roof space

Her lawyer, Carley Hitchins of Aulich, said her client would not be making a bail application that day and would not likely do so when the case next appeared in court either.

Ms Hitchins said more charges had been laid against her client, which she hadn’t seen.

When Magistrate Glenn Theakston read out the new charges to Ms Walto, the court heard the white Jeep Wrangler in the incident was worth $60,000 and belonged to a Canberra car dealership.

Ms Walto’s original charges included assaulting a frontline community service provider, dangerous driving, not giving particulars to another driver after a crash and damaging property.

READ ALSO Prison warned Camry not fit for transport two weeks before escape

Her fresh charges include harbouring an escapee, arson, theft and rescuing a person from lawful custody using force.

She is yet to formally enter pleas.

Magistrate Theakston remanded Ms Walto in custody to next appear before the court on 2 August.

Quinn will also next appear before the court on 2 August, charged with escaping from lawful custody.

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are these crims dumb as a bunch of rocks or what? You have to wonder if they really thought they’d get away with stashing him in the roof.

Jones Walmington On-Sea8:53 am 18 Jul 21

What a Woman!

How is it not an offence to ram a car on purpose…?

that’s probably the ‘damaging property’ charge.

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