Serial Houdini lives desperate life of fugitive

By PATRICK GOWER

Prison escaper Elijah Waterman has hidden in walls, smashed through cell doors and locked up police officers during his many bids for freedom.

In his six months on the run, Waterman has several times driven wildly to avoid police. And he sweats when the Eagle helicopter flies above him as he goes from house to house in South Auckland - lying low by day, coming out only at night.

In Mercer on Sunday night he drove away from police in a hail of gunfire.

Waterman first escaped from the Manukau District Court in September during an appearance on firearms charges which his family say relate to a sawn-off shotgun found at his house after a confrontation with a gang member.

Sources have told the Herald police left him alone on a stairway landing between the court and the cells. Then he smashed through a secure door into a courtroom and "literally walked out the front door".

Although eventually caught, he made a second, unsuccessful, escape attempt at the court some weeks later, when he unscrewed a panel and hid in a wall cavity. Other prisoners screwed the panel back on.

Police scoured the court and found him only after noticing a screw out of place. Even so, they had to use pepper spray to get him out of the wall.

In December, Waterman got away from the court again, this time calling a police guard to his cell and, with the help of another prisoner, attacking him.

They took his keys and locked him in the cell before offering to free the other prisoners, who turned them down.

The guard's cries were ignored by his fellow officers, who thought it was Waterman banging on the door. By the time they caught on, Waterman had again walked out the front door.

A Department for Courts spokesman said they had not reviewed security, because Waterman was officially in police custody during the escape attempts.

Police first said Waterman did not pose a danger, but now say he is armed, dangerous and using the methamphetamine drug "P".

Although they have not caught him, it is understood they have come "very close" on occasions.

Sources say he has been lying low in South Auckland, sometimes associating with a senior member of a new gang called the Black Heads - former Black Power members who come under the umbrella of the notorious Headhunters gang.

There have been car chases. Police have raided the homes of his family and his friends, hinted at rewards of "four-figures" for information and even turned one associate against him with a cellphone and the promise of a $3000 reward if he set up the capture.

Nothing has worked. Waterman's lawyer says he is afraid to give himself up and believes the police were shooting at him, not at his tyres as they have claimed. Police say he can safely give himself up at any station.

* Waterman is 1.74m tall, of medium build with brown hair and green eyes. Anyone who sees him or his car, registration number TD2090, should phone 0800 4 THIEF (0800 484-433).