A convicted murderer checked himself in at a Premier Inn hotel in Nottingham after going missing for more than eight hours on day licence from custody. Mark Repin was caught when he posted his location on Nottinghamshire Police's Facebook page.
Officers swooped on a Premier Inn in the city to find Repin, who was in a, "very, very poor state", said Phillip Bown, mitigating at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday, March 30. Repin was released on licence from North Sea Camp, an open prison for men aged 18 over in Boston, Lincolnshire, at 11.30am, and was required to return by 3.30pm.
When he failed to show, he was reported as an absconder to Lincolnshire Police. The reason for his disappearance came after he was told he would have to do a "work detail" inside which caused him, "significant anxiety," explained Mr Bown.
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"When he was released temporarily on this day, he was in such a bad state he withdrew money from his account, took a train to Nottingham, and booked into a Premier Inn using his prison identity. "In his police interview, he said it was a, 'moment of madness'", said Mr Bown.
"When he realised what he had done, he posted his whereabouts on Nottinghamshire Police Facebook page, which is why they were able to find him in his hotel. The officers who conducted his arrest said he was in a confused state of mind; in his underclothes and his outdoor clothes were soaking wet".
After his arrest he found himself in Nottingham Prison and his release on licence was put back, "and not surprisingly he is extremely anxious to be dealt with today", said Mr Bown. Repin has 18 convictions for 80 offences between February 1977 and May 1989.
He received a life sentence for murder in May 1989, as well sentences for section 18 wounding and arson - but more details about those terrible crimes were not heard in court. The hearing focused on his latest crime involving his disappearance from custody on February 28, 2022.
He was moved to North Sea Camp in August 2021. Repin pleaded guilty to remaining at large after temporary release without reasonable excuse under the Prisoners (Return to Custody) Act 1995. Mr Bown said the 55-year-old was frank in police interview and apologetic, apologising for any inconvenience caused, and the case was, "a mile away from an escape".
Judge Rosalind Coe QC sentenced him to eight weeks in custody. She said he had been in prison since 1989 and, "you have jeopardised your release date by this compulsive act. You were at large for more than eight-and-a-half hours". Repin, who appeared over a video link from HMP Nottingham, said: "I'm so grateful for taking the time to deal with this case for what I have done".
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