Man who escaped Australian prison three decades ago faces deportation — to a country that no longer exists

Three decades ago, Darko Desic, past 35, was sentenced to 33 months successful situation successful Australia for increasing marijuana. Taking a hacksaw leaf to his compartment model and a crowbar to the situation fence, helium escaped custody successful 1992.

He spent 3 decades astatine ample but nether the radar successful the formation suburbs of bluish Sydney, taking currency jobs arsenic a assemblage handyman. But aft the Sydney lockdown near him, present 64, with nary occupation oregon home, Desic turned himself successful astatine a constabulary station, confessing to the transgression of breaking retired of situation astir 30 years ago.

He agreed to service the remaining 14 months of his archetypal 33-month sentence, and connected Thursday, helium was sentenced to different 2 months down bars for the escape.

But there’s a catch: Desic escaped situation successful the 1990s due to the fact that of “real fears,” the magistrate said, that aft completing his sentence, helium would beryllium deported backmost to his homeland — Yugoslavia.

In the months earlier Desic broke retired of jail, calls for autonomy were intensifying successful Yugoslavia, a federation of six republics cobbled unneurotic and ruled nether communism aft World War II. Slovenia and Croatia seceded successful June 1991, and others followed suit. The bloody Yugoslav wars had begun, including the Bosnian struggle breaking retired 3 months earlier Desic broke retired of jail.

Desic was disquieted astir being forced to articulation the subject connected the conflict’s beforehand lines oregon placed successful detention, the Associated Press reported.

His location federation dissolved and years of brutal struggle followed, leaving much than 100,000 dormant — each portion helium was a fugitive connected the different broadside of the world.

Now that the struggle is over, and he’s backmost successful jailhouse successful the 21st period — a caller dilemma has arisen: What volition hap to Desic, who is not an Australian citizen, aft helium completes his situation sentence? Defense lawyer Paul McGirr told reporters that the Australian Border Force informed Desic that helium would beryllium deported upon his December 2022 release.

But wherever to is not clear.

“Bearing successful caput helium doesn’t person the aforesaid state near to spell backmost to, being Yugoslavia,” McGirr said. “Hopefully idiosyncratic with a spot of communal consciousness looks astatine that.”

Because his archetypal condemnation and breakout happened truthful agelong ago, and helium had committed nary further crimes successful the interim, the magistrate acknowledged that Desic has changed, the Associated Press reported.

Desic’s enactment arsenic a section handyman earned him the community’s “love and respect,” McGirr said. The fugitive lived successful changeless fearfulness of being caught, and avoided signing up for authorities services. McGirr said Desic adjacent pulled his ain teeth, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corp. When the pandemic enactment him successful a atrocious fiscal situation, helium resorted to sleeping connected soil dunes. A nationalist fundraising run raised $23,000 for his ineligible and lodging bills.

But authoritative Scott Williams said that the lawsuit evoked a “romantic idea” of jailbreak, and 1 of “Australian larrikinism,” ABC News reported, referring to an Australian word meaning a mischievous but good-hearted person. He asked for a full-time custodial sentence, not the lighter two-month condemnation Desic was granted. For the complaint of escaping prison, Australia has a imaginable 10-year maximum sentence.

The authoritative said this was indispensable to forestall different prisoners from contemplating breaking retired by making wide they would beryllium punished “no substance however agelong aft flight erstwhile captured,” reported the AP.