Jailbreaker had up to three hours' headstart

Jailbreaker Kevin Polwart. Photo / Supplied

It may have been three hours before prison staff noticed serial escaper Kevin Polwart was missing from a work party at Auckland Prison.

Corrections launched a review on December 16 after the 49-year-old cut his way through two steel perimeter fences to freedom, leaving a note on a concrete slab taunting police to "catch me if u can".

A summary of facts given to the Herald after his recapture on Thursday revealed that Polwart joined his work party at 8.30am and went to the cement works within the confines of the prison to complete his daily work.

Staff noticed him missing about 11.20am.

"At some point after arriving at the cement works, the defendant has used an angle grinder and cut holes in two external fences and escaped," the document said.

It was revealed at the time that only two guards were supervising the 60 inmates at work, although four were meant to be on duty.

Polwart, who spent 41 days on the run after a jailbreak in 2001 and, on another occasion, was caught with escape plans in his cell, was found this week in the Symonds St cemetery on the corner of Karangahape Rd in central Auckland after 50 days on the run.

He admitted his identity to police and said he escaped because he thought he was not going to get parole when he became eligible in 14 months.

Police have not revealed where Polwart had been hiding but said in the documents they conducted an extensive search with dogs and a helicopter which failed to find him.

"Police then made a full-scale appeal through the media in an attempt to locate the defendant. This was also unsuccessful and the defendant made no attempts to hand himself in."

Polwart, who was jailed in 1999 for the armed robbery of a security van, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday on the latest charge of escaping from lawful custody.

The maximum penalty is five years' imprisonment.

Corrections national operations manager Robin Benefield would not comment on why it took three hours to discover Polwart was missing.

She said yesterday the department was still investigating the circumstances of the escape.

"As part of this investigation, prisoner Polwart will be interviewed now that he is back in custody.

"As this investigation is still ongoing, Corrections is not able to comment further on details of the escape at this time."