John Howard Centre: Woman admits hiding ‘dangerous’ Cornell Destouche who absconded from mental health unit

A woman has admitted hiding a violent and dangerous criminal in her home after he escaped from a mental health unit in Homerton.

Karen Prosser, 37, helped Cornell Destouche, a psychiatric patient at the John Howard Centre, avoid cops after he ran off while on leave in Walthamstow earlier this year.

Prosser was given an 18-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to knowingly harbouring a patient when she appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday.

The court heard police went to her home in Walthamstow during the manhunt and showed her a photograph of Destouche – who was convicted of attempted murder in 2014 after stabbing a Police Community Support Officer.

She denied recognising him and became verbally abusive.

But the officers then learnt she was a friend of Destouche’s mum and they returned to find him lying on her sofa under a duvet.

Det Insp Paul Ridley of Hackney police said: “This was a wide-ranging and protracted enquiry involving a vast number of resources and extensive land, air and property searches.

“Our efforts were significantly disrupted by the actions of Prosser and stalled this dangerous man from being apprehended. We will always take robust action against any individual harbouring a criminal.”