Daniel Boakye, 21, was sentenced to 10 months in prison at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to two counts of escaping lawful custody. The sentence will run consecutively to his existing six-year term for his role in a gang that stole £115,000 worth of cryptocurrency at knifepoint.
Boakye, who raps under the name Dsavv, escaped from guards twice in February 2026. His first escape occurred shortly before 3am on February 10, when he was taken to West Middlesex University Hospital after concerns he had swallowed pills. He asked to use the toilet and was given longer-chain escort handcuffs for 'dignity and privacy', but he slipped free and ran from the hospital, covering his wrist with a blanket. Two guards chased him into the car park and down the road but lost sight of him.
Police tracked him to a house in Thamesmead on February 11, where he was seen trying to climb over a garden fence. However, just four days later, he escaped again. While at Lewisham Hospital, he told officers he could see 'three versions of them' after swallowing three wraps of drugs. He was taken for an X-ray in a wheelchair without handcuffs because officers believed it was safer, but as he was being taken back to his bed, he ran out of the chair and downstairs into the car park.
Escape to France and arrest
Despite police launching CCTV enquiries and searches, Boakye disappeared. An Interpol Red Notice was issued, and he was arrested in La Bouëxière, Brittany, France, on March 3. Eric Jeffrey, prosecuting, told the court: 'Police have very limited information on how he came to be arrested in France. There’s no record of how he left the country or how he came to be in France.'
While on the run, Boakye taunted police in a rap video with lyrics including 'I just broke out of jail like Modie', referring to a character from the TV series Top Boy. He also bragged about champagne, cannabis, and being 'fresh home'.
Background and sentencing
Boakye was serving a six-year sentence at HMP Feltham for his role in a gang that stole £115,000 worth of cryptocurrency and held victims at knifepoint. He was due to face a parole hearing in February but was also facing deportation to Ghana, a country where he has no family. He appealed against the deportation order but could not secure legal representation, leaving him 'at a loss and desperate', the court heard.
His barrister, Paula Bignall, said he had lived in the UK since he was six and had spent time in the care system. She said he was 'remorseful' and deeply regretted his actions, adding that he had been under pressure because he feared being sent to Ghana. Boakye also told the court in a letter that he had gone to France because he had family there.
Judge Charlotte Welsh said gangs had taken advantage of Boakye’s circumstances when he was younger, but his escapes created a risk to the public. She understood the 'enormous amount of pressure' he had been under but said this did not excuse his actions. Boakye has 19 previous offences on his record, including carrying a knife and numerous robberies. His 10-month sentence will be served consecutively to his existing robbery sentence.
