Darcy Dugan
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Darcy Dugan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 August 1920 |
| Died | 22 August 1991 (aged 70) |
| Occupation(s) | Bank robber, prison escape artist |
| Criminal status | Commuted to life in prison |
| Spouse | Jan Simmonds |
| Convictions | Bank robbery, Prison escapee |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Darcy Ezekiel Dugan (29 August 1920 – 22 August 1991) was an Australian bank robber and New South Wales' most notorious prison escaper.[1][2] During his criminal career he committed numerous armed holdups, mostly of banks,[2] but also even of a hospital.[2] However, he became more famous for his daring escapes than for the crimes for which he was convicted.[2][3]
On 4 March 1946, Dugan escaped from a prison tram which was transporting him between Darlinghurst Courthouse and Long Bay jail.[4] As the tram passed the Sydney Cricket Ground, Dugan used a kitchen knife to saw a hole through the roof, through which he escaped. The tram is still kept today at the Sydney Tramway Museum.[5]
On 16 December 1949, Dugan and accomplice William Cecil Mears (1920–2002) both escaped from Central Police Station, Sydney, during a court recess. Mears was in court after being charged with possession of an unlicensed pistol and had subpoenaed Dugan as a witness. During an adjournment for lunch, Dugan and Mears hacksawed through an iron bar in their cell and escaped from the police complex and onto the streets of Sydney. Police gave chase, but the two were last seen as they jumped onto a passing tram.[6]
In 1950, Dugan was sentenced to death, along with a co-offender. An appeal against sentence failed but Cabinet later commuted the sentences to life imprisonment.
After another prison escape, Dugan reportedly left behind a note scrawled on the wall of his cell which read, "Gone to Gowings."[7] The reference to Sydney department store's advertising slogan was slang for many things including "left in haste".[8]
