Police find lover of prisoner who escaped after attending funeral

Jacinta Sale, who had two warrants for her arrest for driving while disqualified, has been found. Photo / NZ Police

Police have found the partner of a prisoner who escaped Corrections custody while attending his brother's funeral.

Lusitino Selesele, 41, an inmate at Springhill Corrections Facility who was granted compassionate leave to attend his brother's funeral in West Auckland last Thursday, is still at large.

The Herald revealed that Selesele was a pallbearer at the funeral, and as soon as his brother's coffin was lowered into the ground the inmate sprinted off, jumped a fence and got into a car.

Police believe the driver of the car was Selesele's partner Jacinta Sale, who had been waiting for him.

Sale was wanted on two arrest warrants and is facing charges of driving while disqualified.

Escaped prisoner Lusitino Selesele is still at large. Photo / NZ Police

A source said earlier this week that the pair are parents to a terminally ill child who is being treated in hospital.

"They've just left the child there," the source said.

"They've taken off ... pretty much abandoned the child."

A spokeswoman for the hospital where the child is being treated declined to comment.

Correction released a statement this week saying Selesele was a "low security prisoner" and was under the supervision of two Corrections officers when he escaped.

Selesele is described as a Pacific Island man, 1.82m, with a large build.