The Lady leaves out Jane Andrews’ prison escape scandal that left victim’s family ‘horrified’
Jane Andrews escaped prison for three days before she was found
The Lady, ITV’s drama about Fergie’s ex-dresser Jane Andrews, leaves out one big detail: her escape from prison.
The series follows Andrews (played by Mia McKenna-Bruce) from her humble beginnings as a retail worker all the way to Buckingham Palace, where she becomes an aide to Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York.
It’s “inspired” by a true story. So, this isn’t a spoiler: years after Fergie sacks her, she ends up killing her boyfriend, Tom Cressman.
The ending of The Lady covers her trial and imprisonment – but it doesn’t include any details about her literal escape.
When did Jane Andrews escape prison?
Andrews absconded from East Sutton Park Prison in November 2009, eight years into her life sentence. This came just months after she was transferred out of HM Prison Bullwood Hall in Essex to another prison in Yorkshire. She ended up at East Sutton soon after.
She was reported missing after the 8pm evening roll call, sparking a large-scale search across the county.
Lucinda Ellery-Sharp (who appears to be the inspiration for Francesca and Aleksandra in the drama) said she was “astonished, staggered, and stunned” when the news broke.
Three days later, a taxi driver took Andrews’ parents, June and David, and her brother, Jonathan, to a Premier Inn hotel just six miles from the prison.
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He tipped off the police, and Andrews was quickly recovered and returned to prison. She was transferred to HMP Holloway in London.
According to the local authorities (as reported by The Telegraph), it’s believed Andrews had slept rough before arriving at the hotel, as she was “covered in mud and wrapped in a scarf” when they checked in.
How did she get out – and why?
Unlike other institutions with stricter restrictions and security measures, East Sutton Park Prison is an open prison.
They’re intended for low-risk prisoners who are seen to need less supervision and aren’t expected to abscond.
As reported by The Guardian, an independent parole board approved Andrews’ move to an open prison.
As for why she fled, it’s believed to be connected to Mark Ellson, her penpal while she was in prison. The pair started writing to each other while Ellson was also behind bars for fraud. He even visited her when he was released.
However, as he told the Daily Mail (via The Mirror), she allegedly “latched” onto him and became “obsessive”.
Ellson was supposed to see her in-person in November 2009. When he didn’t show up, she escaped.
Was Jane Andrews charged for absconding?
No, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ultimately didn’t prosecute Jane Andrews for escaping prison.
Five months on, the CPS announced that it was “no longer in the public interest” to charge Andrews.
This decision also came after “considering two neuropsychiatric reports that were not available at the time when Jane Andrews was initially charged with this offence”.
For context, Andrews had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in the wake of her conviction. While she wasn’t able to win an appeal on those psychiatric grounds, it dissuaded the CPS from pursuing a charge of absconding.
Jane Andrews’ victim’s brother “traumatised” after escape
Rick Cressman, Tom’s brother, was vocally critical about Jane Andrews’ escape and the response. He hit out at the lack of security in the prison and the CPS’ decision.
He called out Jack Straw, the former justice secretary, slamming the “complete and utter incompetence” that enabled her escape.
“If the prison service cannot deal with a 42-year-old 5ft 4 inch woman who has been classed as vulnerable – who can they deal with?” he said.
“No special efforts were made to control her or watch her and before you know it – she is over the wall. The whole fiasco has left me traumatised and depressed and I feel like I did that night when my brother was murdered.”
Cressman said he was “horrified” when he found out Andrews wouldn’t be charged for absconding.
“I’m horrified because as the victims of crime, my family has had repeated calls to say that court hearings have been postponed and put back on, then postponed and put back on,” he said (as reported by BBC News).
“Then, lo and behold, they turn around and say they’re not going to do it at all. It’s very upsetting.
“If it’s not in the public interest to deal with a convicted murderer who has escaped from prison, I don’t know what is.”
Read more: The Lady filming locations: From ‘Grimsby’ to ‘Greece’, and if that’s really Buckingham Palace
