A loveable rogue escapes prison triggering the most extensive manhunt in Australia's history as he cleverly out maneuvres an entire state police force for 37 days in his relentless quest to remain free from incarceration.

SYNOPSIS:

A dramatised account of Australia’s most infamous charismatic rogue criminal, Kevin Simmonds. He was born on 22 August 1935 during the bleak depression years in the small country town of Griffith, NSW, Australia. Kevin grew up in a household dominated by a tough, bigoted father and a trapped, largely helpless mother. Kevin’s childhood was scarred by witnessing the drowning death of his baby sister — a tragedy for which he unfairly holds himself responsible.

He drifts through teen early adulthood years on the edge of the law, only to buddy up with Les Newcombe in jail and then, shortly after release, embark on a slipshod robbery. ”Slipshod” because their plan is flawed, but more importantly because Kevin lacks the mean streak to really make a go of robbery as a profession. Their attempted crime spree lands them back in jail where they are impatient to get on with life — a prospect they could only envision courtesy of a jailbreak. They manage to escape by the skin of their teeth but struggled to survive sometimes serious, sometimes comical incidents while on the run. During this phase, Kevin and Les discover things about themselves, and the public develops a curious affection for the pair.

But their adventures sour when Les proposes they help themselves to supplies courtesy of a detention centre he was at previously. This too does not go to plan. Cornered, Kevin kills a Warden at the detention centre and suddenly their prospects are filled with danger. Kevin and Les bumble their way through attempts to evade detection. Les is first to be apprehended and Kevin — whose strange folk-hero status, especially among women keeps growing – starts to flounder on his own.

When Kevin is captured, he is found guilty of manslaughter by the jury, despite a stony judge who overrules the decision, sentences him to life in prison. Kevin becomes a victim of savage retribution from the prison Guards and seemingly takes his own life by hanging.

His death leads his sister, Ms. Jan Simmonds, to write the book "For Simmo," which leads to a State Royal Commission into the treatment of prisoners. Kevin's incarceration is recognised as one of the worst atrocities in the penal history of New South Wales and leads to prison reform, the effects of which are still felt today.

FINAL BLOW