A CONVICTED robber serving an indefinite sentence walked out of prison following the evening roll-call to carry out an armed burglary at a Coventry home.

Lee Middleton was then believed to be heading back to his cell at HMP Hewell, in Tardebigge, when he was caught after driving a powerful car stolen in the burglary the wrong way along the M42.

And the prison staff did not know Middleton had gone until the police called to tell them of his arrest.

Warwick Crown Court heard that at the time Middleton, who was serving an indeterminate sentence for conspiracy to rob, was just days from a review which could have led to his release.

But now he is starting fresh sentences totalling 11-and-a-half years.

Middleton, aged 32, previously of Harry Rose Road, Wyken, Coventry, had pleaded guilty to escaping from custody, aggravated burglary and dangerous driving.

Prosecutor Lal Amarasinghe said that in 2007 Middleton was given in indeterminate sentence for the public protection for a series of robberies of commercial premises and cash in transit.

Earlier this year he was serving the latter part of that sentence, subject to the Parole Board agreeing to his release, and was in an open section of HMP Hewell.

On June 18 he was present for a roll-call at 9.30pm – but by 11.40pm he and another man were carrying out their terrifying burglary 36 miles away.

"The prison did not realise he had left until the police contacted them. He had left his bed with two pillows in it.”

Mr Amarasinghe said that Matthew Grove and Danielle Ismay were in their first floor flat in Holbrooks, Coventry, when Middleton and another man smashed their way in shouting 'it’s the police'.

They were wearing masks, and Middleton was wearing a knuckleduster and carrying a house brick while his accomplice had a long knife.

As Miss Ismay pleaded with them not to hurt them, the two intruders demanded the couple’s phones and the keys to Mr Grove’s £10,000 Audi A3 Sport which was parked outside.

Middleton threatened Mr Grove: “Don’t move or I’ll smash your skull in.”

The couple handed over their phones, which were later discarded, and the intruders ran out after grabbing the car keys and searching Miss Ismay's handbag for cash.

As they drove off in the Audi, Mr Grove ran to a nearby garage where he borrowed a customer’s phone to call police.

Officers on patrol in an unmarked car received a message, so parked in a layby on the A45 where they saw the stolen Audi being driven by Middleton and followed at a distance.

It pulled into a service station, and when the officers drove onto the forecourt and parked near the exit, the Audi drove off and turned right – heading the wrong way along the A45 back towards Coventry.

The officers decided it was too dangerous to pursue, and the police helicopter then spotted the Audi on the M40 going towards the M42 where it went onto the wrong carriageway and headed north with its lights off.

At junction two the Audi attempted to exit, but continued the wrong way down the slip-road to re-join the motorway, still going north on the southbound carriageway, and put its lights on.

Three police cars formed a rolling block, and the Audi moved across to the central reservation where Middleton and the other man got out and made off.

Middleton ran across the northbound carriageway before hiding in dense undergrowth, but was caught and arrested.

Christine Luckock, defending, conceded: “Taking on board the psychological trauma to the victims, it’s no mitigation that there was no injury to the victims; it is simply that it is not another aggravating feature.”

Of his escape, she said: “He has served approximately eight years, and he has previously been knocked back on his first review. He was due for another review; he was in an open prison, and there had been successful day releases and he had a job set up for him in a relative’s cleaning business.

"To some degree he was frightened about his release into the outside world, where previously he has been bullied.

"It was fear of being released as well as some bitterness and resentment that he had not already been released.”

But she added: “He says he is not responsible for putting the pillows in his bed.”

Judge de Bertodano jailed Middleton for nine years and four months for the burglary, with consecutive sentences of 12 months for his escape and 14 months for the dangerous driving.