Great Escapes (from NSW prisons) - Number 2

R v Dudko [2002] NSWCCA 336

Love, romance, drama, suspense, and hijacking a helicopter. This escape story has it all.

On 25 March 1999, Lucy Dudko attended the Bankstown airport for her booked ‘joy flight’ with a reputable helicopter company. Dudko had booked to go on what was called the “Harbour Bridge track”, which included a flypass of the Olympic Stadium, Harbour Bridge and Manly. However, on this particular day it also made an unscheduled stop into the grounds of Silverwater gaol.

Dudko managed to hijack the helicopter using a small pistol she had taken on board. She had also taken on board numerous parts of a much larger automatic weapon which she actually assembled, after the hijack and while flying to the gaol. When the helicopter landed, one prisoner named John Killick, Dudko’s boyfriend, ran towards the helicopter, grabbed the automatic weapon, jumped on board and away they flew.

They then landed at Macquarie university, tied up the pilot, stole a car and drove off into the sunset, as a modern day version of Bonnie and Clyde.

Unfortunately for them, they were caught after about 6 weeks on the run, but any gaol break out that involves the hijacking of a helicopter, quite easily makes it on my list of Top 5 escapes.