Updated
A manhunt is underway in Sydney’s east after a convicted murderer out on parole managed to remove his electronic ankle bracelet while receiving medical treatment.
Key points:
- Police said they were following up on leads from the public with information about Damien Peters
- Peters was convicted after detectives found the remains of his lovers in a bathtub and council bin in 2001
- He was on parole and when his electronic ankle bracelet was forcibly removed and discarded
NSW Police said Damien Anthony Peters — who was last seen at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick about 4:15pm yesterday — would have needed “a great deal of effort” to take off the device.
The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to murdering and dismembering two of his lovers in 2001 and was given a 21-year sentence, but had been on parole since 2016.
He was living freely in the community while being tracked by an electronic advice.
Police said they were informed immediately after Peters went missing from the hospital.
His monitoring anklet was found four hours later outside a monastery in nearby Kensington.
“Mr Peters was free to come and go to the hospital as he saw fit,” said Detective Superintendent Rohan Cramsie.
“He was certainly not in anybody’s custody at the time … we don’t know at this stage what has been the catalyst for him to remove the bracelet yesterday. We just don’t know.”
Mr Cramsie said he did not believe Peters was a danger to the community, but that they were treating his parole breach seriously.
He added it would’ve been a “great deal of effort” for Peters to remove his bracelet.
Two grisly murders
Almost 18 years ago, Peters stabbed Tereaupii Akai, 50, twice in the neck before cutting up his body and throwing it in a council bin.
About eight months later, Peters stabbed 57-year-old Bevan James Frost to death while giving him a massage, before cutting up his body.
Detectives investigating the disappearance of the two men found Mr Frost’s remains in the bath when they went to Peters’ flat.
He was jailed for 21 years, with a non-parole period of 13 years, in 2002.
Police said they were following several leads from people who called in with information about the escaped murderer.
Peters was described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175 to 185 centimetres tall, with a muscular build and short brown hair.
He had a tattoo on his right upper-arm of a snake wrapped around a panther and tribal-style tattoos on his upper-left arm.
Police had urged people to not approach him and ring triple-zero if he’s sighted.
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