Police hunt for convicted murderer after he absconds from prison

A convicted murderer from Lancashire has absconded from prison.

Darren Jackson (51) absconded from HMP Sudbury during the morning of Tuesday, September 13th.

Jackson was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in March 1986 to serve a life sentence for the murder of Gillian Ellis.

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Mother-of-three Mrs Ellis (29) was attacked as she walked home across Hargher Clough Recreation Ground from a party at Coal Clough House on December 15th, 1984. She was violently mugged and beaten until she was unconscious. Later that night, Jackson discovered her body, but instead of helping her he did a “Highland fling” on her, leaving her with injuries akin to having fallen from a 12-storey building. After a week-long trial at Manchester Crown Court in 1986, the jury took two hours to find Jackson guilty of murder and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. In August, 1997, Mrs Ellis family had to re-live their agony after Jackson escaped from the medium-security Ranby Prison, near Nottingham. He went on the run for three days and made his way back to the area, giving himself up in Nelson.

Now, Derbyshire Police have revealed he had been released and later recalled to prison and was serving part of his sentence at HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire.

The 51-year-old is white, 6ft 4in. tall and slim. He has short cropped grey hair and a tribal tattoo on his wrist.

His last known address is in Oldham and he has connections to Burnley.

Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.