Inside help an option in prisoner escape

Two teenage prisoners who fled from the Te Awamutu District Court cells yesterday were still at large this morning.

Serving prisoners, Terrence Tahuna Matthews, 18, of Te Awamutu and Steven Thomas Crown, 19, of Kawerau escaped at 12.30pm.

Senior Sergeant Gael Mockford said police were investigating whether human error was to blame for the escape, or the pair had inside help.

She said someone had to have opened the cell doors and it may have been human error.

"Mistakes happen and I just don't know."

- NZPA