Belgian prison breakout ends in farce after plotters book escape helicopter under their own name
Belgian police arrested the suspects in an “amateurish” prison breakout in less than 24 hours because the gang booked the helicopter they hijacked to try and free one of their wives under their real names.
The three men chartered the flight in Deurne, near Antwerp, on Friday on the pretext of taking aerial shots for a television programme but planned to use the helicopter to free Kristal Appelt, the wife of the main suspect.
Mike Gielen, 24, from Tongeren, married Ms Appelt, 27, in prison last year. She is awaiting trial for the murder of her then boyfriend.
“I can confirm that my client has admitted that he wanted to release his wife from prison," said Mr Gielen's lawyer, Tom Van Overbeke. "Right now it seems like the whole thing is pretty amateurish."
After taking pictures of landmarks such as the Atomium and the Lion of Waterloo, the men produced imitation guns and ordered the pilot, a 35-year-old woman, to fly to the prison.
The helicopter hovered over two other prisons before arriving at Berkendael women’s prison. The De Standaard newspaper reported the helicopter’s arrival caused panic among the prison staff but “hilarity” among the prisoners.
The excitement was too much for Mr Gielen, who vomited up to five times. The pilot managed to convince him that it was impossible to land the helicopter in the prison courtyard.
After hovering for a short while, the helicopter flew out of Brussels to a car park in the French-speaking region of Wallonia. A head count in the prison revealed that no one had escaped.
The men fled in a car only to be picked up less than a day later after officers traced them from their names on the helicopter booking forms.
A fourth man, Mr Gielen’s adoptive father, was also arrested after picking the men up and released conditionally on Sunday.
Mr Gielen, who is understood to have complained about conditions in the women’s prison and was unhappy at having visits curtailed by coronavirus, is cooperating with police, according to reports. The three men will appear in court next week.
A 22-year-old man in the helicopter said he had no idea that his friends were planning a prison break.
“My client had been asked by a friend to take photos and videos. He brought a backpack full of cameras and lenses and also shot some images during the flight. He was completely unaware of a plan to release anyone from prison,” said his lawyer Jonathan Bogaerts.
