THE mother of murder victim Gillian Ellis has spoken of her relief at the recapture of her killer after he escaped from prison.

Jean Peat was devastated when convicted murderer Darren Jackson cut his way out of jail.

"Thank God they've got him back in jail," said Mrs Peat, who lives near Turf Moor, Burnley. "I just hope they lock him up properly this time and he can never escape again."

Jackson, who was convicted of stamping mother-of-three Gillian to death and jailed for life in 1986, rang police in Colne and gave himself up on Friday after being spotted walking by the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Lancashire. Mrs Peat is convinced he was making his way back to his home town of Burnley although she can not understand why.

"There's a lot of people round here who would like to get their hands on him," she said. "He's just stupid."

Jackson escaped from Ranby Prison, Nottinghamshire, with another prisoner, Neil Skinner, and was on the run for three days. Skinner is still at large.

Jackson was questioned by Nottinghamshire officers at Colne police station before being taken to Preston Prison.

A police spokesman said it was up to the prison authorities to decide whether he would be returned to Ranby or spend his sentence at another jail.

Mrs Peat said news of Jackson's escape had rocked the family.

"I was really upset by the fact he had escaped," she said. "It brought it all back to me. My daughter Susan took me to Blackpool for the weekend to get away from it all.

"We will never forget what's happened but we we were getting on with our lives. Now this has brought it back again."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.