Shropshire Star

Prisoner who murdered Stoke Heath inmate captured after two weeks on the run

A convicted murderer who stabbed to death a fellow inmate during a cookery class at a Shropshire young offenders institute has been arrested after being on the run for two weeks.

Published
Maurice Travis

Maurice Travis, 33, was jailed for life in 1999 after he pleaded guilty to the murder of 17-year-old Alan Averall at Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institute, near Market Drayton.

Travis absconded on March 26 while released on temporary licence in Oldham.

Police found and arrested him in the Denton area of Greater Manchester on Wednesday.

His licence allowed him out for a few days as part of a test to see if he was ready for release as he was nearing the end of the sentence.

Travis, originally from Manchester, stabbed his victim three times with a knife, normally used to chop onions, after a row over a piece of chocolate cake.

Averall, who was celebrating his 17th birthday, was one of up to a dozen inmates taking part in a home economics class at Stoke Heath.

Medical staff at the centre fought to save his life after he suffered knife wounds in the chest. He was airlifted to the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary but died shortly afterwards.

Averall, from Smethwick in the West Midlands, had been serving a 12-month sentence for burglary, theft, taking a car without authority and driving away.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.