Prisoner Mistakenly Released, Recaptured in Darwin

A 52-year-old prisoner, Clinton Daylight, was mistakenly released from the Darwin Correctional Centre on Wednesday, two months prior to his scheduled release date. Daylight was reportedly in custody for violent offending. He was last observed at the Darwin Bus Exchange at 4:30pm on the day of his release.

Police Search and Arrest

Northern Territory police initiated a search after being notified of the release on Thursday, more than 12 hours after it occurred.

On Friday, after 3:30pm, police confirmed Daylight was located and arrested without incident in the Darwin CBD by members of the Fugitive Task Force. He has since been returned to custody.

NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole previously stated that "extensive resources" had been allocated to the search for Daylight, with enquiries conducted in both Katherine and Darwin.

Administrative Error Blamed

The Department of Corrections attributed the mistaken release to an "administration error made by corrections staff."

A spokesperson indicated that preliminary information suggests the error stemmed from "the incorrect interpretation of a notice of suspended sentence at the point of reception processing."

Preliminary information suggests the error stemmed from "the incorrect interpretation of a notice of suspended sentence at the point of reception processing."

The department stated that the error was identified during routine warrant reconciliation processes, and immediate steps were taken upon detection. A full internal review is currently underway to ascertain the full circumstances of the incident.