A convicted murderer who faked his own death while on the run from an open prison has been jailed for four years for holding a woman hostage.
11:37AM BST 06 Jun 2012
Gary Johns, 46, was believed to be dead when he tied up Adeola Oluwa and tried to force her into making a sex tape, to be used against her if she tried to 'grass him up'.
The terrified mother-of-one was also held at knife-point and told two vans were waiting outside John's flat to take her away, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
Johns escaped from Wormwood Scrubs in 1995, after being given a life sentence for murder at Chelmsford Crown Court on July 8, 1993.
He stabbed a 29-year-old through the heart after gatecrashing a nurse's party in Harlow, Essex.
Johns was later captured and given a concurrent seven-year term for escape.
At the time, he was the first inmate to flee the west London jail since spy George Blake in 1996.
He was eventually transferred to Standford Hill open prison, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, but bolted while on day release and remained at large between 2008 and 2011.
Ms Oluwa had been subjected to a 24-hour ordeal when she went to collect her American pitbull, named Bronx, from Johns' girlfriend, Dennelva Buntin, last October 12, at her flat in Albion Road, Hackney.
When Ms Oluwa arrived to get the dog she was amazed to see Johns there.
'Ms Oluwa was surprised because she thought Mr Johns was dead, having been told this in February last year,' said prosecutor Matthew Dalton.
When Ms Adeola said she needed to collect her daughter from school Johns said she could not leave because she now knew he was alive and could 'grass him up' to police.
'Ms Adeola begged Mr Johns to let her go but he quickly fetched some black rope and tied her wrists together,' said Mr Dalton.
Some time later, Johns reappeared with a knife, waving it at her in a threatening manner.
'He said there were two vans with men outside to take her to a hotel where she would have to work and make a sex tape,' Mr Dalton added.
'She would also have to be filmed taking drugs so he could use it against her if she did grass him up to the police.'
Ms Adeola continued to beg for her freedom but Johns insisted she would have to stay overnight.
The following morning, he said he would release her if she dropped him at a friend's house, but instead tried to lure her into a secluded alleyway, where he brandished the knife again.
She managed to escape as Johns tried to force her to go with him back to the flat, but he caught up with her and grabbed her clothing.
Shocked members of the public witnessed her crying out and the police were called.
But he was not arrested until more than a month later on November 23.
A jury found Johns guilty of false imprisonment following a trial.
Buntin, 22, was cleared of the same charge.
Sentencing Johns to a four year sentence concurrent to his life term, the judge, Mr Recorder Tim Clark said: 'I'm required to pass sentence on you for falsely imprisoning Ms Oluwa, having absconded from day release.
'Bearing in mind the rather strange facts of your offence which occurred as a result of you not wanting to go back into prison, and the fact that you will be on licence for the rest of your life anyway, this is not a case where dangerous provisions are appropriate.
'You were at large having absconded while on day release from your life sentence.
'Despite the victim's understandable belief that she had been set up, in my view this was an offence that was wholly unplanned.
'Ms Buntin thought that you had gone out and was not expecting you to be at the flat when she returned with Ms Oluwa.
'When you saw this person with Ms Buntin, you realised you had a problem.
'Although you had met Ms Oluwa since you absconded, you had let it be known to your family and associates that you were dead and had done so successfully, to the extent that Ms Oluwa was shocked to see you.
'That caused you all sorts of difficulties and you came to the conclusion that you would have to detain her.
'She found this experience terrifying and that will have some consequence on her state of mind for some time.
'Marking the seriousness of the offence and hoping there is still some chance for you to progress and there is light at the end of the tunnel, the appropriate sentence is one of four years in prison.'
Shaven-headed and wearing jeans and an orange polo shirt, exposing his tattooed arms, Johns thanked the judge he was led of the dock.
Defending Johns, Bridget Irving said a pre-sentence report had concluded he doesn't pose a risk to the public.
'He was at large from 2008 to 2011 and he worked during that time, setting up his own business.
'Clearly he is a lifer so he is going to be on licence for the rest of his life.
'The amount of time he has left to serve is not going to be resolved until the end of the proceedings when the parole board will meet.
'Unfortunately he is back before the courts when he kept out of trouble in and out of prison for some time.'
A charge of escape from Stanford Hill Open Prison in 2008 was laid on file.
Buntin, of Hakewill Way, Colchester, Essex and Johns, of no fixed address, denied false imprisonment.
Johns is also subject to a restraining order against Ms Oluwa.
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