Man caught in revolving jail door

A man who shot and wounded two Melbourne police officers 10 years ago is back behind bars - this time over his role in a spectacular prison breakout.

Brendon Luke Karl Berichon, now 30, wounded the policemen in Box Hill in April 1998 while on the run after helping notorious bank robber Brenden James Abbott and four other prisoners escape from a Brisbane jail.

Berichon was arrested in Darwin a month later and extradited back to Victoria, where he served nine years behind bars for the attempted murders.

On his release he was immediately extradited to Queensland to face court over the jail break.

Berichon pleaded guilty yesterday to 10 charges, including four of serious assault and one each of aiding people to escape lawful custody and harbouring an escaped prisoner.

Berichon was sentenced to five years' jail, which will be suspended after 2 1/2 years.

Acting Queensland District Court judge Brian Deveraux noted Berichon had made serious attempts at rehabilitation while in jail in Victoria, completing a wide variety of academic and civic courses.

The court earlier heard Berichon had been "groomed" for the 1997 Brisbane prison escape by Abbott -- who was dubbed [by the media] the "Postcard Bandit" for taunting police by sending them postcards while on the run [which is bogus] -- when they were both in custody.

Quote: When the corporate media make such claims - and then labels an alleged offender - in this case the "Postcard Bandit" - then these labels are meant to stick - and sometimes made up - to increase notoriety - and in this case that claim was proved to be bogus.