A fundraiser for Darko Desic, the elderly prison escapee who has hidden in Avalon since 1992, has gained over 400 donors and more than $26,000 in funds since its launch on 15 Sept 2021. Concerned locals have rallied behind the man who was forced to turn himself in after jobs have dried up due to the lockdowns.
Mr Desic, 64, escaped Grafton prison in the 1990s following a three-and-a-half-year sentence for selling cannabis. He settled in Avalon where he did odd jobs whilst undetected from the police for the last three decades.
Due to the pandemic, Mr Desic ran out of opportunities to render his services as a handyman and was evicted from his home. After weeks of sleeping on the beach in Avalon, he surrendered to the police station in Dee Why on 12 September so he could have a roof over his head.
“Although I have never met him, I believe everyone deserves a second chance,” Belle Higgins, the organiser of the fundraiser wrote.
Ms Higgins is a psychotherapist who wants to help Mr Desic get a lawyer who can permanently get him out of prison. The money raised will also help the prison escapee find a home where he could rebuild his life.
She and her husband, Peter, were able to find a solicitor for Mr Desic so he could receive legal advice. Paul McGirr will file for his immediate release after the Dee Why police charged him with an escape from lawful custody since he has no police record since his escape from prison.
Darko Desic, also more commonly known as Dougie among Avalon locals, has been refused bail by the Central Local Court in Surry Hills and will go back to court on 28 Sept.
Meanwhile, a long-lost cousin, Anthony Desic, 28, thought Dougie returned to Croatia after his prison sentence. Anthony’s father, Nikola, who died in 2019, was the prison escapee’s beloved uncle.
Anthony, who lives in Coffs Harbour, said he was surprised to see in the news that Dougie was living in Sydney for the last 30 years. He has written his cousin a letter and sent some family photos. Anthony also expressed his gratitude for the Avalon community and hopes his cousin will get his second chance.