A convicted murderer who escaped from police custody while on an escorted shopping trip was caught in Streatham on Sunday after two days on the run.

Patricia Gillette, 41, originally of James Boswell Close, Streatham, was arrested after she was spied by officers in Churchmore Road at 10.45am.

She had travelled to the area after absconding while on a supervised outing to shops in Bromley on Friday afternoon.

Gillette, 41, who weighs 25 stone, is serving an indeterminate sentence as a psychiatric patient at the Bethlem Royal Hospital.

The former prostitute was convicted in 2007 of the murder of Streatham resident Mark Murphy, who she repeatedly stabbed in the chest in Bournevale Road in August 22, 2006.

She stabbed the 38-year-old dad to be after he tried to stop her bullying a friend into giving her money.

The schizophrenic claimed a ghost carried out the attack.

Gillette will now be returned to the hospital in Bromley.