Simon Hennessey, 50, was back behind bars tonight after 15 years on the run in Australia . A convicted killer who went on the run in Australia for 15 years evaded capture by using the identity of a brain damaged man, was tonight back behind bars in the UK. Fugitive Simon Hennessey, 50, mutilated his elderly aunt in a frenzied attack. Hennessey was just 14 when he was convicted of knifing Mary Webber, 72, to death after stabbing her more than 70 times in her Plymouth home. At the time, he became the youngest person in British legal history to be sentenced to life in a secure mental health unit. He had served 20 years of a life sentence for manslaughter, when he walked out of Leyhill Open Prison in south Gloucestershire just before Christmas in 1998. For years officers tried to trace the wanted man without success, until he was arrested in Australia as part of a probe into a credit card scam. Hennessey was detained  in Queensland in summer 2013,  but for weeks officers did not realise that he was a wanted killer in Britain. Unbeknownst to them he had stolen the identity of Robert Jeffery from New Zealand who had been left brain damaged in a car accident a decade earlier. Robert Jeffery, 44, was in a head-on collision with a vehicle in 2005 and thrown from the flat-bed truck he was driving. He has been in permanent care ever since and struggles to retain information. He has never held a passport. Hennessey was jailed for five and a half years for fraud after the scam unraveled. As soon as he was eligible for parole, the Australian authorities deported him back to the UK. He was arrested on his return and charged with evading lawful custody. Hennessey, who has changed his name from Simon to Robert, pleaded guilty to the charge and was jailed for 16 months by a judge at Bristol Crown Court. Hennessey had been using the identity of Robert Jeffrey from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand, pictured . Detective Constable Stuart Brooks, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'Robert Hennessey was arrested on suspicion of fraud offences in the Queensland area of Australia in 2013. 'Since then we've been working closely with the Australian authorities to ensure he was returned to the UK to serve the rest of his sentence and to face justice for the unlawful absconsion. 'With the assistance of Devon and Cornwall Police, the victim's family have been kept updated on Hennessey's deportation and subsequent court appearances in the UK.'
Killer Simon Hennessey jailed after 15 years on the run in Australia .
Serving life sentence for manslaughter when walked out of open prison .
50-year-old arrested 15 years later by officers probing credit card fraud .
Hennessey was using stolen identity of man left brain damaged in smash .
After serving five-and-a-half years in jail in Australia deported back to UK .
Judge jails Hennessey for a further 16 months for evading lawful custody .
Simon Hennessey, 50, was back behind bars tonight after 15 years on the run in Australia . A convicted killer who went on the run in Australia for 15 years evaded capture by using the identity of a brain damaged man, was tonight back behind bars in the UK. Fugitive Simon Hennessey, 50, mutilated his elderly aunt in a frenzied attack. Hennessey was just 14 when he was convicted of knifing Mary Webber, 72, to death after stabbing her more than 70 times in her Plymouth home. At the time, he became the youngest person in British legal history to be sentenced to life in a secure mental health unit. He had served 20 years of a life sentence for manslaughter, when he walked out of Leyhill Open Prison in south Gloucestershire just before Christmas in 1998. For years officers tried to trace the wanted man without success, until he was arrested in Australia as part of a probe into a credit card scam. Hennessey was detained  in Queensland in summer 2013,  but for weeks officers did not realise that he was a wanted killer in Britain. Unbeknownst to them he had stolen the identity of Robert Jeffery from New Zealand who had been left brain damaged in a car accident a decade earlier. Robert Jeffery, 44, was in a head-on collision with a vehicle in 2005 and thrown from the flat-bed truck he was driving. He has been in permanent care ever since and struggles to retain information. He has never held a passport. Hennessey was jailed for five and a half years for fraud after the scam unraveled. As soon as he was eligible for parole, the Australian authorities deported him back to the UK. He was arrested on his return and charged with evading lawful custody. Hennessey, who has changed his name from Simon to Robert, pleaded guilty to the charge and was jailed for 16 months by a judge at Bristol Crown Court. Hennessey had been using the identity of Robert Jeffrey from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand, pictured . Detective Constable Stuart Brooks, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'Robert Hennessey was arrested on suspicion of fraud offences in the Queensland area of Australia in 2013. 'Since then we've been working closely with the Australian authorities to ensure he was returned to the UK to serve the rest of his sentence and to face justice for the unlawful absconsion. 'With the assistance of Devon and Cornwall Police, the victim's family have been kept updated on Hennessey's deportation and subsequent court appearances in the UK.'
Simon Hennessey, 50, was back behind bars tonight after 15 years on the run in Australia . A of a brain damaged man, was tonight back behind years of a life sentence for manslaughter, when he walked out of Leyhill Open Prison in south Australia as part of a probe into a credit card Unbeknownst to them he had stolen the identity of authorities deported him back to the UK. He was lawful custody. Hennessey, who has changed his charge and was jailed for 16 months by a judge at 'Robert Hennessey was arrested on suspicion of