A dramatic police manhunt — sparked by the disappearance of inmates from a southwest England prison on New Year’s Day — has concluded with the arrest of the two men who absconded, bringing a tense week of public safety concerns to an end. What began as an unsettling breach from an open‑security facility captured widespread attention and prompted criminal appeals, CCTV releases and community reporting before culminating in custody.
On January 1, 2026, three prisoners absconded from HMP Leyhill, an open prison in South Gloucestershire between about 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Police quickly launched a public appeal to help locate the fugitives. One of the three — 39‑year‑old Aaron Thomas — was arrested in Bristol on January 3 and has since been charged with escaping lawful custody and appeared in court.
The remaining two escapees remained at large over the following week. Those men were identified as Matthew Armstrong, 35, and Daniel Washbourne, 40. Armstrong, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for a killing during a robbery in Warwickshire in 2009, and Washbourne, with previous convictions for violence and false imprisonment, were the focus of intense police efforts that included CCTV releases and appeals for public sightings.
Today (January 7, 2026), both men were arrested:
Armstrong was detained near Henley‑in‑Arden train station by officers from Warwickshire Police after a member of the public reported a sighting. He is now in police custody. Washbourne was arrested shortly after 1:30 a.m. in Bristol city centre by Avon and Somerset police. Initially taken to hospital for treatment of pre‑existing injuries, he has been transferred to police custody. In addition to the absconding itself, Armstrong was also arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with an incident near Leyhill on December 31, 2025, the night before the escape. Police say they carried out victim interviews and house‑to‑house enquiries that led to that charge.
Police thanked the public for coming forward with information that helped lead to these arrests after days of appeals and CCTV circulation.
The recapture of the two absconded prisoners brings an end to a high‑profile search that had raised questions about open prison monitoring and public safety. While one man was quickly detained and charged, the successful arrests of Armstrong and Washbourne this week underscore the role of public cooperation and coordinated policing in resolving escapes from custody. Investigations into the circumstances of the abscondment and related offences continue.
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Sources: Avon and Somerset Police statement on arrests; Sky News – Murderer and second inmate who escaped prison arrested.
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