who were the third man who failed his escape from fremantle prison with abbott
The “third man” who failed his escape from Fremantle Prison alongside Brenden Abbott was an unnamed fellow prisoner who fell from the wall and broke his leg, and was immediately recaptured.
Quick Scoop: What Happened In That Escape?
In the late 1980s, Brenden Abbott – later dubbed the “Postcard Bandit” – made a high‑profile escape from Fremantle Prison in Western Australia.
On that day, there were three prisoners involved in the wall‑escape attempt: Abbott, Aaron Reynolds, and a third inmate whose name is not given in official public summaries.
According to Fremantle Prison’s own historical “escape stories” record, Abbott and Aaron Reynolds successfully jumped from the wall.
The third man attempted the same jump but fell, broke his leg, and was quickly captured by authorities, ending his escape almost immediately.
“Abbott and Aaron Reynolds jumped successfully. The third prisoner fell and broke his leg. He was quickly recaptured.”
So, Who Was He?
Publicly accessible historical summaries and overview pages about Fremantle Prison’s modern‑era escapes describe this third prisoner only as “the third prisoner” and do not list his name.
Media snapshots and popular profiles of Abbott’s escapes likewise focus on Abbott and Reynolds and do not identify the injured third man by name.
Based on what is available:
- He was one of three inmates involved in the 1989 Fremantle Prison wall escape with Abbott.
- Abbott and Aaron Reynolds are named, the third man is not.
- He was injured in the fall (broken leg) and immediately recaptured.
Because of that, you will often see him referenced only indirectly, as “the third prisoner” or “another inmate”, rather than by personal name in public write‑ups and short histories of the escape.
Mini Timeline Of The Escape
- Planning and preparation
- Abbott and at least two other prisoners prepared disguises (guards’ uniforms) and a plan to go over the wall at Fremantle Prison.
- The escape attempt
- Abbott and Aaron Reynolds make their jump from the wall and land without incapacitating injuries, managing to get away from the immediate prison perimeter.
* The third man attempts the same jump, falls, suffers a broken leg, and is unable to continue fleeing; he is caught soon afterward.
- Aftermath
- Abbott remains on the run for about five and a half years, gaining nationwide notoriety as a skilled bank robber and fugitive.
* The failed third participant becomes a footnote in the story because his escape ended almost instantly at the wall due to injury.
Forum‑Style Take: Why Is His Name Hard To Find?
In forum and discussion‑style retellings of the Fremantle escape, the focus is overwhelmingly on Abbott’s long run from the law and the “Postcard Bandit” mythology that built up around him.
The third prisoner’s identity doesn’t materially change the narrative for journalists or historians, so many public‑facing sources simply omit his name and focus on the dramatic elements: the uniforms, the wall jump, Abbott’s years on the run, and later court proceedings.
From a modern “trending topic” angle:
- Abbott still appears in news in the 2020s around legal bids and sentence issues, which refresh interest in his history.
- When those stories recap his Fremantle escape, they mention Abbott and Reynolds, and note that another inmate failed the jump, but again without naming him.
Short Answer / TL;DR
- Three men tried to escape Fremantle Prison over the wall with Brenden Abbott.
- Two succeeded: Brenden Abbott and Aaron Reynolds.
- The third man fell, broke his leg, and was rapidly recaptured; public historical summaries do not commonly list his name.
Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.