Daniel Boakye jailed 10 more months for two hospital escapes in one week

Daniel Boakye, a 21-year-old drill rapper known as Dsavv, was sentenced to an additional 10 months in prison on 14 August 2024 for escaping custody twice in February. Woolwich Crown Court heard he fled West Middlesex University Hospital on 9 February and Lewisham Hospital six days later, while serving a six-year sentence for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Boakye was part of a gang that stole £115,000 in cryptocurrency during robberies in 2023. He had been held at HMP Feltham and was days away from a parole hearing when he first escaped. A pending deportation order to Ghana, where he has no family, was cited as his motivation for fleeing.

First escape: handcuffs slipped in hospital toilet

On 9 February, Boakye was taken to West Middlesex University Hospital after triggering an alarm in his cell. Prosecutor Eric Jeffrey told the court Boakye had ingested pills. At around 3am, he asked to use the toilet. Guards replaced his standard handcuffs with escort cuffs, which have a longer chain, to allow him privacy.

Boakye slipped the cuffs and covered his wrist with a blanket before running into the hospital car park. Two guards chased him but lost sight of him. Police were called but could not locate him. He was found at a home in Thamesmead at midday on 11 February. Officers forced entry and arrested him as he tried to climb a garden fence.

Second escape: wheelchair dash from Lewisham Hospital

After his recapture, Boakye was taken to Lewisham Police Station. During a search, officers saw him swallow something from his pocket. He was taken to Lewisham Hospital at 3.15pm on 11 February after blue paper was spotted in his throat. Guards kept watch on his room.

On 15 February, Boakye told officers he had swallowed three wraps of drugs and was hallucinating. For his safety, he was taken for an X-ray in a wheelchair without handcuffs. As guards wheeled him back to his room, he bolted from the chair, ran downstairs and escaped into the car park. Police conducted CCTV reviews and door-to-door enquiries but failed to find him.

Arrest in France and return to UK custody

An Interpol Red Notice was issued for Boakye. He was arrested in La Bouëxière, Brittany, on 3 March, 16 days after his second escape. Prosecutor Eric Jeffrey said police have no record of how he left the UK or entered France. Initial reports suggested he may have been smuggled in a lorry, but this remains unconfirmed.

While on the run, Boakye posted a rap video mocking police. The lyrics included references to the TV series *Top Boy* and boasts about champagne and cannabis. The video attracted national media attention.

Court hears of Boakye’s background and remorse

Judge Charlotte Welsh noted Boakye had lived in the UK since the age of six and entered the care system as a child. She said gangs had exploited his circumstances to recruit him. Boakye has 19 previous convictions, including knife carrying and multiple robberies.

Defence barrister Paula Bignall said Boakye had been making progress in prison and was days away from a parole hearing when he first escaped. In a letter to the court, Boakye said he fled to France because he has family there, unlike in Ghana. He expressed remorse, calling his actions “futile”.

Judge Welsh acknowledged the pressure Boakye faced over his deportation but said his escapes posed a risk to the public. She imposed the 10-month sentence to run consecutively with his existing six-year term. Boakye remains subject to a deportation order to Ghana once his sentence is complete.

What happens next

Boakye will serve his additional 10-month sentence before his deportation order to Ghana is enforced. The Metropolitan Police have not ruled out further investigations into how he travelled to France. No charges have been brought against the four men arrested at the Thamesmead address where he was recaptured.