A health worker has denied helping a convicted killer escape from a mental health unit.

Dean Ablakwa, 29, of north London, is accused of helping Michael Lerone Boye, 27, abscond from the John Howard Centre in Homerton on October 16.

Boye was jailed for life in December 2012 after stabbing 17 year-old Kelvin Chibueze to death outside the Arteflex nightclub in High Road, Ilford, on August 15 2011.

The killer was at large for more than 100 days before he was captured by police during a planned operation in Elderberry Close, Chigwell on Tuesday.  

Ablakwa is charged with conspiracy to assist an offender to escape and appeared via videolink at Snaresbrook Crown Court yesterday.

He is due to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court later today.

Boye will stand trail at Snaresbrook Crown Court on April 23 charged with being unlawfully at large.