A Cromwell man on the run for four days, after escaping from police custody on Sunday, was recaptured yesterday morning when he was found hiding in the floor cavity of a Cromwell home, police said.
Brandon Rockhouse (20) will appear in the Alexandra District Court today on a charge of escaping from custody and will also face a charge of aggravated robbery relating to an earlier incident.
Cromwell police head Sergeant Mike Williams said the man was found at his bail address, which had already been searched thoroughly several times since Sunday.
Seven police officers - four from Cromwell and three from Alexandra - searched the house yesterday morning as the first of seven properties that were going to be searched again, he said.
The man was discovered hiding in a cavity created under the floorboards.
Rockhouse had been arrested on Sunday for allegedly breaching bail conditions and ran off, wearing metal handcuffs, while being taken out of the back of a police car in the yard at the Cromwell police station.
He outran two police officers.
The handcuffs, which had later been cut off, were recovered yesterday, Sgt Williams said.
Police handcuffed Rockhouse again after he was caught yesterday.
Asked if any other equipment was used to restrain him, Sgt Williams said: "He was motivated to escape, so we had the necessary tactical options available to us, if needed."
He declined to give details.
Sgt Williams was grateful for the public's assistance in the hunt for the man.
"People from all over the district have called in with reported sightings of him in the past few days, and we've been able to investigate those, and discount them.
"But we have appreciated that response from the public."
• A 23-year-old Cromwell woman appeared before a registrar in the Alexandra District Court yesterday charged with assisting Brandon Rockhouse to avoid arrest, knowing he had escaped from custody, and possessing a utensil (a bong) to use cannabis.
She was remanded on bail and will reappear in the Alexandra District Court on October 21.
