A man who was accidentally released from a Sydney prison due to a paperwork bungle has called the police to let them know where he was.
Corey Hastings was let out of Long Bay Correctional Complex in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Thursday afternoon before being re-arrested at a Bondi hotel on Friday morning.
The 30-year-old was on remand and had been refused bail after appearing in court on Thursday morning before he was accidentally released.
It is understood Hastings’ paperwork incorrectly stated he had been granted bail, leading Corrective Services NSW to release him from custody.
Police searches and inquiries on Thursday night suggested Hastings was travelling by public transport and that he headed to a nearby shopping centre after being released from prison.
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He contacted police on Friday morning after hearing about the search in the media, the ABC reported. Hastings will not be charged in relation to his release.
He appeared in Wagga Wagga district court via video link on Thursday morning on driving-related charges. Police said on Friday morning that arrangements were under way to return him to prison.
Corrective Services was “investigating how the error occurred”, a spokesperson said.
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