Killer on the loose

A CONVICTED murderer who savagely beat and stabbed a man to death was last night on the run after escaping from custody while on day release in Ballarat.
Langi Kal Kal inmate Trevor Andrew Bransgrove fled from the Bridge Mall about 2pm yesterday during four-hours' supervised day release.
The 37-year-old prisoner disappeared at Faull's Shoes shop while a supervising prison officer was looking at footwear.
Sergeant Trevor Cornwill said police were alerted 55-minutes after the prisoner disappeared, giving the escapee an hour's head start.
"While the prison guard was looking at shoes in a shop, he thought he'd go for a walk and has disappeared," Sgt Cornwill said.
Police searched the Bridge Mall and surrounding shopping precinct as well as a 3.15pm Melbourne-bound train but were unable to locate the prisoner.
Last night Bransgrove was still at large as police mounted a massive manhunt for the escapee, who is considered dangerous.
Bransgrove, formerly of Seaford, was convicted of murder after he stabbed a man in his 30s to death and dumped his body in a nature reserve behind a Seaford caravan park in May, 1996.
Bransgrove is serving a 14-year sentence with a minimum of 10. His earliest release date is March 2006.
"He is considered dangerous and we suggest that you don't approach him."
"We suggest if anybody sights him to contact their local police or police emergency on triple-0 to advise where they saw him, whether he was with a vehicle and what direction they saw him heading," Sgt Cornwill said.
Bransgrove was described as Caucasian, 177cm tall, 70kgs, with a thin build, shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. He was wearing a green tracksuit, blue woollen jumper and runners.
Police were investigating a lead late last night that Bransgrove was headed for Melbourne.
Meanwhile, as the search continued the Department of Corrections was last night asked to answer questions about how an inmate convicted of murder could escape guard supervision while on day release.
A spokesman for acting corrections commissioner Dennis Roach said the prisoner had been assessed for the Custodial Community Permit Program by a committee and had been on day release twice before his escape without incident.
"That assessment was made and okay this guy has decided for some reason to do a runner, we don't know why, but all I can say is that this prisoner went through the proper assessment process before he was considered for the CCPP."
The spokesman said CCPP was part of a gradual process to reintegrate prisoners back into society as they neared release from prison.
The spokesman also disputed the time lapse between the prisoner disappearing and the supervising officer raising the alarm.
"Our information is he realised very quickly that this guy had run off and our information is that he contacted all the relevant people straight away...including the prison itself (and) the police."
The Review and Ethical Standards Unit would be investigating the incident, the spokesman said.
Any person who sees Bransgrove should not approach him and is advised to contact police immediately on 5336 6000 or call Crime Stoppers Rural on 1800 333 000.