A MURDERER escaped from custody at an open prison after he had concerns for his own safety, a court heard.

Stephen Pile, who is serving a life sentence issued more than 30 years ago, decided to “simply walk out” of HMP Ford in West Sussex on December 23 last year.

The 60-year-old was located at an address by Dorset Police around 14 hours after he had absconded.

He was handed a three-month prison sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, February 5, having admitted a single charge of escaping from lawful custody.

The court heard Pile, of Lampton Gardens, Bournemouth, had recently reported issues about his cell mate at HMP Ford, who had "extremist views".

Judge Brian Forster QC said he took the view that Pile had real concerns for his own safety, which he had raised with the prison authority.

Addressing the defendant, who appeared via video link from HMP Winchester, the judge said: "Immediately before your decision to leave there had been a serious incident in the prison of which you were not involved."

A serious assault had taken place in the block where Pile's cell was located on December 21, however, reports from the prison staff said there was no suggestion the defendant had been involved.

Two days after this incident, Pile walked out of the open prison.

"You made the wrong decision to leave, whatever the circumstances," said the judge.

"This is something you did some time ago when there were pressing domestic circumstances.

"You knew from that it is a serious matter."

The judge said the circumstances which led to Pile being concerned for his safety were exceptional and not of his own making.

While Judge Forster QC said this did not excuse what the defendant did, it did provide mitigation, noting he had been in prison for a long time and been making good progress in terms of rehabilitation.

Pile received a life sentence at Maidstone Crown Court more than 30 years ago for murder.

Open prisons, or category D prisons, have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence to carry out work, education or for other resettlement purposes. They only house prisoners that have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions.