Killer flown to UK on charter flight

A PRIVATE aircraft has been chartered to transfer convicted killer Craig Rouget to the UK.

He was also accompanied by three warders in a move that the prison authorities initially covered up.

Although the operation was witnessed at the airport, Les Nicolles governor Terry Wright flatly denied that Rouget, pictured, who knifed to death James Dean in 2006, had been moved.

'He will be transferred at a later date. We can't say when because of security issues,' he said on Tuesday afternoon.

In fact, lifer Rouget had flown out on a twin-engined aircraft that morning.

The deception was revealed yesterday when the prison governor sent a statement by fax.

'I can confirm that Craig Rouget was transferred under escort by prison staff to England by plane where he will carry out his sentence,' said Mr Wright, who then refused to answer questions about the use of a charter flight.

The operation cost substantially more than using scheduled services, but neither Home minister Geoff Mahy nor the department's chief officer, Paul Whitfield, were aware that the prisoner was getting what one airport observer called 'VIP treatment at taxpayers' expense'.

The same source suggested that Rouget would be entitled to three return trips a year to Guernsey, but the prison governor would not discuss that either.

HM Prison Service said that if Rouget wanted to visit his island home, an application would need to be made and it would have to be approved by English and Guernsey authorities.

If this was agreed, it is unclear what arrangements would be put in place regarding transport.

The approximate price for a standard chartered aircraft from Guernsey to the UK can be anywhere between £3,500 and £6,500 for a south coast destination. With the right planning, a scheduled return economy flight costs around £100 per person.

That means Rouget's transfer with escorts has cost islanders around 10 times more than it might have done.

It has been recommended that Rouget serves at least 13 years in prison, although a High Court judge will review this now that he has entered the UK prison service.

The chief officer of the Home Department has defended Mr Wright's denial about Rouget's transfer.

Paul Whitfield said that the reasons for denying the existence of the operation were in the best interests of the public and also necessary for the transfer to be completed without incident.

'Historically, escapes are made because of pre-information about a potential transfer,' he said.

Although Mr Whitfield was unaware of the use of the private aircraft, he believed that whatever decision was taken had been done so after the strictest tests were taken.

'When transferring a prisoner, individual risk assessments are taken for each case. They look at both the safety for the prisoner and also for the public,' he said.

He also pointed out that worrying about expenses shouldn't be an issue when dealing with public safety.

'It is important that the public are safe and don't have to worry about an escaped criminal being out there.'