Missing murderer Daniel Rosenthal 'was allowed out'
A murderer who went missing from a secure mental health unit was allowed out of the grounds but failed to return at an agreed time, it has emerged.
Southern Health NHS Trust said Daniel Rosenthal posed an "extremely low risk" to the public despite being described as "potentially dangerous" by police.
Rosenthal, who murdered his mother, was found a day after failing to return to the hospital in Totton, Hampshire.
The trust said he did not breach any security to leave the grounds.
It said it was "important to remember" Rosenthal's offence was committed 32 years ago.
Rosenthal went missing on Saturday afternoon after police initially reported he had absconded from a scheduled unsupervised walk around the grounds of Tatchbury Mount Hospital, where the Southfield mental health unit is based.
On Monday, health bosses confirmed the 58-year-old had been granted leave from the hospital grounds.
Police located him about seven miles away in Southampton at about 11:30 BST on Sunday.
They had warned the public not to approach Rosenthal, who was convicted for the murder of his mother, Leah, in Hedge End, near Southampton, in August 1981.
The trial heard he cut her body in to small pieces.
A trust spokesman said Rosenthal had made "significant progress and recovery" since the offence, and that unsupervised leave would not have been granted "if the patient posed any risk to themselves or to the public".
Dr Julian Lewis, Conservative MP for New Forest East, said it was "disturbing" Rosenthal had been "allowed to go for unsupervised walks".
Southern Health said that leave was granted only with the agreement of the Ministry of Justice "following a thorough risk assessment", which would be regularly reviewed by psychiatric professionals.
Hampshire Constabulary was unavailable for comment.