A WOMAN serving a life sentence for a "revenge" murder was arrested when she failed to return to prison after being allowed home to visit her family.

Margaret Copeland, 38, was jailed for life in 1998 after admitting the brutal murder of Thomas Hunter in Darwen on Christmas Day the previous year.

Thomas had moved from Old Hall Farm, Stoneyholme, Burnley, into a maisonette in Vernon Street with his new girlfriend but was murdered the following day.

Copeland claimed her victim had abused her as a child and after stabbing him through the heart told police: "I have killed the beast."

She later told police: "I have waited 25 years for this and it was payback time."

Magistrates heard Copeland was due to be considered for parole later this year and had been allowed to visit her partner and two children at their home in Higher Perry Street last Friday.

Police were alerted when she failed to return to Askham Grange Prison, York, by 10pm and she was arrested at her home address the following morning.

Copeland pleaded guilty to temporarily absenting herself from Askham Grange and was sentenced to 28 days in prison to run concurrent with the sentence she is already serving.

Deborah Morgan, defending, said there was no suggestion that Copeland had tried to evade the police.

"She was trying to sort out some problems with her 17-year-old daughter and missed her train back to York," said Miss Morgan.

"My client has been in prison for 10 years and her daughter was only a child when she was jailed.

"They argued on Friday and my client decided to stay and thrash out their problems.

"She was at the address the following day and there was no attempt to abscond," said Miss Morgan.

"If the police hadn't arrested her she would have caught the train back to York that morning."

At the time she was jailed, Copeland was living in Ivinson Road, Darwen.

The trial judge described the murder as a wicked act.

The court heard Copeland had moved to Darwen from Glasgow to make a fresh start but still had problems with heroin and alcohol.

When Thomas Hunter also moved to the town friends described how she became unstable.

After bumping into Hunter on Christmas Day, Copeland went to a friend's house where she drank heavily and took drugs.

At 10pm she went to an address in Vernon Street, Darwen, and when the door was opened she went straight to Mr Hunter and stabbed him through the heart.

She fled, throwing the knife down a drain, but was arrested shortly afterwards.

Miss Morgan said Copeland was due to be considered for parole in June and in preparation for that hearing had been allowed out on six or seven day releases and she was also working in a cafe in York twice a week.

"This was the first time she had been allowed day release to visit her partner and two children," said Miss Morgan.

"By failing to go back at the appointed time she has spoilt her chance of parole in June and it could be a year or more before she gets another chance."