John Howard Centre: Woman admits hiding ‘dangerous’ Cornell Destouche who absconded from mental health unit
Karen Prosser - Credit: Archant
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.
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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.
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“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.”
