Notorious gangster Daniel Gee escaped from Kirklevington Prison in Stockton on May 27 and Cleveland Police has now released CCTV images of a woman who appeared to meet him at a train station
A woman with a pram "appearing to meet" with Daniel Gee is being urged to come forward after the notorious gangster escaped from prison.
Known for being a key member of an organised crime group that transformed the Grizedale estate in Liverpool into a notorious 24-hour open drug market, the 44-year-old is on the run.
Cleveland Police is continuing its search for Gee, a fortnight after he absconded from Kirklevington Prison in Stockton. Gee left the prison on May 27, and was captured on CCTV at James Cook University Hospital train station the following day where he is believed to have boarded a train to Middlesbrough.
Officers have now released CCTV images of a woman with a pushchair, who is seen on the station platform between 12pm and 1.30pm the same day as Gee was there. The woman who is wearing a leopard print hat, a Barbour style brown jacket and cream trousers with a knee brace on, appears to board a train with Gee heading to Middlesbrough, then together board then change to another going to Darlington.
Gee and the mystery woman both get off at Darlington and go their separate ways on the platform. The woman can be seen leaving Darlington train station without Gee, pushing a pushchair and heading towards Yarm Road and the town centre of Darlington.
Officers have said they would like to speak to this woman and have urged her to come forward and assist with enquiries. Investigators now also have CCTV footage, showing Gee boarding the 2.16pm train from Darlington to Liverpool Lime Street on May 28. It is unknown at which stop he got off the train.
The statement from Cleveland Police read: "Since our last appeal, officers now have CCTV footage of a woman with a pushchair, who appears to have met with Gee on the platform of the hospital train station between 12pm and 1:30pm that same day. They appear to board a train together to Middlesbrough, then together board another train, which travels to Darlington.
"They both get off at Darlington and go their separate ways on the platform. The woman can be seen leaving Darlington train station without Gee, pushing a pushchair and heading towards Yarm Road and the town centre of Darlington. Officers would like to speak to this woman and would urge her to come forward and assist with enquiries.
"Investigators now also have CCTV footage, showing Daniel Gee boarding the 2:16pm train from Darlington to Liverpool Lime Street on Tuesday 28th May. It is unknown at the moment at which stop he got off the train. Anyone with information can call 101, quoting SE24098852, or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or report online at www.crimestoppers.co.uk."
In 2010, Gee was slapped with an indefinite jail term for making the streets unsafe as he conspired to purchase firearms and made threats to eliminate a teenager who had shot him during a situation on New Year's Day in 2008, reported the Liverpool Echo. A spokesperson from the Prison Service previously said: "All prisoners in Category D prisons are robustly risk-assessed and absconds are rare. Offenders who break the rules are punished and face extra time behind bars and we are working with the police to recapture this prisoner."
Gee, who with his brother Darren led a notorious gang dominating illegal ventures in north Liverpool, was imprisoned after he planned to arm himself following death threats to 16-year-old gunman Jamie Starkey. Gee sustained serious injuries when Starkey shot him outside an Anfield pub in the early hours, with one bullet piercing his stomach and lung before exiting his back.
After the shooting, Gee was rushed to hospital but refused treatment, suffering severe pain and trauma from Starkey's "murderous and unprovoked" assault. In October 2009, Gee was convicted of two counts of threats to kill and two counts of blackmail during a trial.
The jury could not reach a verdict on more severe charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition. As his second trial approached, Gee, formerly of Maryport Close, Everton, pleaded guilty to the latter charge. Prosecutor Ian Unsworth KC remarked that Gee's thirst for vengeance "knew no bounds".
Gee was slapped with an indefinite prison sentence, with a minimum of four years to be served before the parole board would even consider his case. This sentence ran concurrently with a seven-and-a-half-year sentence he was already serving for drug offences. During the trial, Gee's barrister argued that his client was "frankly terrified" at the prospect of an indeterminate sentence and had only conspired to arm himself due to fear of another run-in with the Starkey family. He claimed that Gee was targeted because of his notorious family name and revealed his greatest fear was receiving an indefinite sentence as he believed he would never see freedom again.
However, the then Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe KC, stated: "I am in no doubt that the public must be protected from you in the future. I really do not know when it will be safe to release you." Starkey was gunned down six times by a masked assailant outside his home on December 2 2012. Despite five arrests and the recovery of the murder weapon, no one has been brought to justice for his death.
