A brutal murderer who fled prison has been jailed again after being captured 200 miles away living in a cosy bed and breakfast on the west coast of Scotland.
Paul Gerrard, 40, was caged for life with a minimum of 14 years in July 2009 after viciously stamping on the head of David Argent, 29, at a flat in Runcorn, Cheshire.
Chester Crown Court heard Gerrard and co-accused Gerrard Harper, then 39, beat Mr Argent - who endured a campaign of intimidation - unconscious. He remained in a coma for eight months before dying.
Cheshire Police revealed Gerrard absconded from Lancashire open prison HMP Kirkham in December 2022 with HM Prison Service saying: "Those who abscond from open prison will be moved back to closed conditions and face extra time in jail."
But on January 17 he was tracked down to a bed and breakfast hotel in Irvine, in Ayrshire, by Cheshire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), where he was laying low - 200 miles away from the jail.
Now Cheshire Police have just confirmed that at Carlisle Crown Court on Thursday, February 16 Gerrard was sentenced to an additional 14 months in prison for escaping from lawful custody.
On Thursday March 2, Detective Inspector Nick Henderson, of Cheshire Police's SOCU, said: "I welcome this sentence handed to Gerrard who is back behind bars where he belongs.
"This case demonstrates our determination to ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions, with officers going well beyond the boundaries of Cheshire to keep our communities safe."
Gerrard was originally jailed back in 2009 for the brutal murder of Argent, who was vulnerable and had learning difficulties.
Gerrard was convicted alongside Gerrard Harper after they lured Mr Argent to a flat in Castlefields in July 2008 and beat him unconscious.
Friends of Mr Argent tried to warn him not to go before he was brutally attacked by Gerrard and Harper, who punched him to the ground and stamped on his head.
The tragic victim. who grew up in Netherley, Liverpool, had been the victim of a campaign of intimidation before the vicious assault.
Gerrard and Harper were convicted of murder after trial at Chester Crown Court and jailed for a minimum of 14 years each in prison.
At the time both men had denied being at the scene - until confronted with Mr Argent’s blood on their clothes.
Initially charged with GBH, their charges were changed to murder when Mr Harper died.
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