An Irish man who entered Australia on a fake passport and escaped hotel detention by scaling three storeys using bed sheets has been handed a 12-month sentence by a Queensland court.
Michael Connors, 26, entered Australia several times under seven different aliases in the lead-up to his arrest earlier this year.
On Thursday, the Brisbane Magistrates Court heard Mr Connors entered the Brisbane International Airport Terminal on March 13, with a passport under a different name.
“That passport would not scan. He was subsequently detained for the purposes of a search,” said prosecutor Kate Thomson.
“He refused to provide biometric data to ADF and was ultimately refused immigration and was detained,” she said.Â
Ms Thomson told the court Mr Connors was taken to the Meriton Suites in Brisbane’s CBD where, two days later, he escaped through the window using bedsheets to reach the ground.
Laughter spread around the court — barring Mr Connors — when Magistrate Peter Saggers interjected, “I haven’t seen that since Boggo Road in the late 80s, early 90s”.
The court heard Michael Connors had used seven different aliases to enter Australia at different stages. (Supplied: Australian Federal Police)
Four months on the run
After four months on the run, an application for an NSW driver’s license lead to Mr Connors’ ultimate arrest.
“On the 30th of July of this year, Australian Federal Police were notified that the defendant had applied for a NSW drivers licence using the alias Dan Daniel Connors … he provided a counterfeit Irish passport in support of that application,” Ms Thomson told the court.
Mr Connors was arrested the following day and extradited to Queensland where he had remained in custody.
The case was heard at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday. (ABC News: Christopher Gillette)
He pleaded guilty to with one count of using false documents and false or misleading information and one count of escaping from detention last month.
The court heard Mr Connors had also used a fake alias in Victoria and had an outstanding warrant for three further offences over a different matter in NSW.
“He has repeatedly entered Australia under false aliases and continued to commit offences,” Ms Thomson told the court.
‘You must like it here’
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Mr Connors’ lawyer Mark Stone told the court that his client, who identified as an Irish traveller, faced threats of violence in his home country.
“That was the reason for him travelling to Australia,’ Mr Stone said.
“His intention was to bring his wife and his three children here.”
Mr Stone told the court Mr Connors had spent most of the 34 days in prison awaiting sentencing in solitary confinement.
Before handing down his sentence, Magistrate Saggers acknowledged Mr Connors was in pursuit of a better life for his family.
“You made a daring escape, you got out through the window, with bed sheets,” he said.
“You must like it here, you keep coming back under a variety of names, but the issue is when you’re here you have offended.”
Mr Connors was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for using false documents, and six months imprisonment for escaping detention.
Those sentences will run concurrently, and he was ordered to serve a period of four months.
Magistrate Saggers said while he would released from prison in Queensland December 1, Mr Connors’ outstanding warrant in NSW would still be dealt with.
“What happens to you after that, I don’t know. But what I suspect is that there are some kids in Ireland who want you home,” he said.Â