Drug-smuggler escaper ‘gave up like a lamb’

Press, 24 March 1980, Page 2

Drug-smuggler escaper ‘gave up like a lamb’

NZPA Perth 'The escaped New Zealand drug smuggler, Peter Lawrence Miller, aged 31, “gave up like a lamb” when arrested on his way to Sydney late on Friday, said a police spokesman. •Detectives said the weary, -unshaven Miller, who escaped from Barton’s Hill low-security prison at Perth last Monday, offered no resistance when stopped east of Balladonia on the Eyre, highway, about 1060 km south-east of Perth. j !A second escaper, George M,ennie, aged 29, a convicted heroin dealer, was arrested with Miller in a car they were driving towards the West Australia-South Australia border.

ii Both were 'to ' have ap-i i’peared in the court at Kal-j -goorlie on Saturday on, : charges of escaping from[ • (lawful custody. ■ i 'I The chief of the Kali [goodie C. 1.8; /Detective Serigeant Robert Mays) spent! , two hours questioning Miller; i iafter the arrest. i U He said the two men acted; i;“very surprised” at being ar■'.rested but offered no resisutance. if “Miller gave up like a /lamb and told us the whole Il story,” said Detective Serefgeant Mays.: JT Miller was serving a nine--1 year sentence for having y I smuggled one of the biggest e amounts of drugs ever -j brought into Western Aus- | tralia ;

i He escaped three days before facing a charge of having conspired to import 250 g [of heroin. Mennie was jailed for two [years in December, 1978, for (possession of money from 'the sale of heroin. i The public, the police, and politicians expressed outrage at the ease with which Miller was able to escape from jail. ' The Premier of West Australia (Sir Charles Court) has called f or a report on the escape. ; The police were highly t critical of Miller’s being held • in a low-security prison and ■ said he had planned the escape for some time.