Shawshank II: Winslet stars in foiled Limerick prison plot

OSCAR winner Kate Winslet helped two prisoners re-enact the plot of The Shawshank Redemption at Limerick Prison yesterday but, this time, there was no Hollywood ending.

Two men serving life sentences for murder used a poster of the starlet to cover up a window grill they had hacksawed through.

Just like in the Tim Robbins/Morgan Freeman film, a poster was used to conceal the escape route, but where Raquel Welch succeeded, Ms Winslet failed.

The two men from Tipperary, Kevin Prendergast and Antony Buck, had adorned their cell with numerous pin-ups, so the likeness of Winslet hanging over the cell window did not look out of place.

But when prison officers became suspicious of activities in the cell at lunchtime yesterday they decided to look beyond the film star.

Instead of an escape tunnel, featured in the Stephen King story that inspired the 1994 movie, prison officers discovered a cell window with bars had been cut through with a hacksaw.

Kate Winslet covered the place where one bar had been completely cut away and fitted loosely in place and a second had been cut through halfway.

After the alarm was raised, a full search of their cell uncovered hacksaws used in the attempted break out. Makeshift rope made from towels and material torn from the duvet covers on the bunk beds was also found by prison officers.

Maps of Ireland and Germany were also found.

One source at the prison said: “From what was found it would appear they were planning to cut their way to freedom in the next few days and lower themselves into a yard. We can only assume they had planned to get over the main wall with outside help once they got out of the cell.

“They had done a lot of work in the cell to cut away the iron bars. They had also cut away a Perspex window.

“They came close to making it and no doubt would have chuckled at going to see Kate Winslet in her Oscar role at some cinema, wherever.”

One of the pair had been foiled when cutting his way out of Arbour Hill prison on Christmas Eve.

A prison service spokesman said last night: “Prison staff discovered a possible escape from Limerick prison and discovered damage to a window where one bar was cut and a second was partially cut and covered over with a poster.”

He said both were long- term prisoners. An investigation was under way and disciplinary action would be taken against both men.