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Convicted killer Philip Theophilou recaptured after fleeing London mental health unit

Philip Theophilou, who murdered his neighbour in 2004, was found at a south London hospital following a four-day search.

  • Philip Theophilou, 54, absconded from a mental health facility in Homerton, east London, sparking a four-day police manhunt.
  • The Metropolitan Police confirmed Theophilou was found in the early hours of Thursday at a hospital in south London and has been returned to the facility.
  • Theophilou had been on the run without his schizophrenia medication, raising concerns about public safety.
  • He admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after stabbing his neighbour, Simon Breed, to death in 2004.
  • Theophilou's escape and recapture have highlighted the challenges in managing patients who pose a serious risk to others in medium-secure mental health units.
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