Daniel Gee manhunt moves to Merseyside three weeks on

Merseyside Police has confirmed it is now leading the investigation into the whereabouts of absconded prisoner Daniel Gee.

Gee, a former gang leader who ran a drug network on Everton's Grizedale estate with his brother Darren, absconded from Kirklevington Grange prison in the north east on May 27. Local force Cleveland Police previously led the investigation into Gee's whereabouts and last week released new CCTV footage which showed the 44-year-old boarding a train from Darlington to Liverpool Lime Street.

The force said investigators didn't know which station the absconded man got off at but added the probe had shifted to the north east. A spokesperson for Cleveland Police told the ECHO detectives have now handed over the case to their counterparts in Merseyside's fugitive team.

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This morning, Thursday, June 20 a spokesperson for Merseyside Police told the ECHO: "We can confirm that an ongoing investigation to locate Daniel Gee, who absconded from Kirklevington Prison in North Yorkshire, has been transferred to Merseyside Police.

"It was reported that the 44-year-old absconded on Monday 27 May and inquiries are ongoing to find him. He is described as being around 6ft tall, has a large build and is bald. Gee is believed to have links to Carlisle, St Helens and Liverpool."

The ECHO previously spoke with ex-Metropolitan Police officer Peter Bleksley, star of Channel 4's Hunted, who offered an insight into the mindset of Gee and the efforts that would be taken by investigators. He told the ECHO: "In terms of staying on the run, a fugitive needs a network. They need someone to feed them, house them, clothe them, transport them.

"If you are on your own you have to resort to crime to get money and that means you'll be more likely to come to the attention of the police. Being a fugitive on your own is virtually an impossibility. So many fugitives can't resist the pull of home. That's where they know they have an established network.

"It's their home territory. Liverpool being a port city also allows criminals the opportunity to flee to a number of places. He could have returned to Liverpool so his network could then get him out of the country."

Mr Bleksley, who has spent a number of years investigating the whereabouts of Liverpool's most wanted Kevin Parle, said the investigation into Gee came down to a matter of resources. He said: "Anyone can be caught, but it's all about time, effort and resources.

"It's as simple as that. Gee and his family are high profile. I'm sure catching him is a matter of urgency but there are also more pressing matters. Every police force has a number of unsolved murders that demand a lot of time and effort from investigating detectives. It's a case of how many of your resources you can deploy."

Cleveland Police previously released two pieces of CCTV - firstly showing Gee boarding at James Cook Hospital train station and a second of him meeting a woman and getting on another service to Middlesbrough. Cleveland Police told the ECHO the woman has been spoken with.

Gee was jailed indefinitely in 2010 for the public's protection following his conviction for gun offences. The courts heard he had plotted to arm himself after making death threats to 16-year-old gunman Jamie Starkey.

Gee was seriously injured after being shot by Starkey, which happened outside an Anfield pub in the early hours, with one of the bullets piercing his stomach and lung before going out his back. In a trial in October 2009, Gee was found guilty of two counts of threats to kill and another two of blackmail.

Jurors were unable to agree on the two more serious charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition. As his second trial was about to start, Gee, formerly of Maryport Close, Everton, admitted the second charge. Prosecutor Ian Unsworth KC said Gee’s desire for revenge “knew no bounds”.

The then Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe KC, said: "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."

Since Gee absconded a number of true-crime podcasters, including his brother, have offered their thoughts on where he has gone and why. Speaking on an episode of the Criminal Connection Podcast, Darren, now 45, said: I am hoping it's a planned abscond. If it's an emotional abscond, it's going to go wrong. If it's planned then hopefully he is out the country."

Neil 'Sam' Samworth - a former guard at Strangeways prison who counts Darren Gee among his former inmates - added the absconded man can turn his life around but will face additional prison time when he is finally caught.

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