1 day ago
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A man matching the description of convicted murderer Matthew Armstrong was seen in Bristol over the weekend
CCTV images appearing to show a murderer walking city streets days after he absconded from open prison has been released as the search to find him continues.
Three men failed to return to HMP Leyhill, South Gloucestershire, on New Years' Day, with the new images showing Daniel Washbourne, 40, and convicted murderer Matthew Armstrong, 35, in Bristol on 3 and 4 January.
Aaron Thomas, 39, was arrested on Thursday after voluntarily handing himself into police, and appeared in court on Monday.
Avon and Somerset Police said there had been a "number of reported sightings" of the men but there was a "distinct possibility" they had travelled out of the area.
Avon and Somerset Police
Two men matching the prisoners' description have been spotted in Bristol
One image released by police shows Armstrong and Washbourne on Ashley Road, Bristol, at about 10:35 GMT on Saturday, heading towards the Stokes Croft area of the city.
A second CCTV image shows a man walking along Filton Road and then Gloucester Road North in Filton, stopping at one stage to look at bus timetables at about 09:45 on Sunday.
Police said the man was wearing a burgundy coat that matched the one worn by Armstrong when he left HMP Leyhill, and he appears to have continued walking along the same road, having been seen in the Patchway area between 11:05 and 11:15.
Avon and Somerset Police
Matthew Armstrong (L) and Daniel Washbourne absconded from prison on Thursday
The force said detectives were also "following up on other lines of enquiry" but were unable to go into detail to avoid hindering the investigation.
Neither Armstrong nor Washbourne are known to have any connection to the wider Bristol area, and police said they were working with other police forces across the country to help trace them.
Armstrong, who has links to Warwickshire, is described as white, male, about 5ft 9ins, with ginger hair and scars on his forehead.
Washbourne, who has links to Herefordshire, is described as white, male, about 5ft 6ins, slim, with brown hair and is clean shaven.
Avon and Somerset Police
A man matching Armstrong's description was seen walking along Filton Road on Sunday morning
Police said "urgent actions" had been completed after they were reported to have absconded between 17:00 and 20:00 from the prison on 1 January, including flagging the men as wanted via national police systems.
They added that efforts had also been made to contact the victims and their families of the men through other police forces to share the news "as sensitively as possible".
Armstrong was sentenced in 2009, aged 18, for the murder of grandfather 54-year-old Paul Smith in Rugby town centre. He was given a minimum term of 19 years.
Washbourne, police said, is understood to have previous convictions for violence against a person and false imprisonment.
