MURDERER Mohammed Mahroof Mustafa was "unlawfully at large" for two days when he killed a High Wycombe taxi driver, the Probation Service revealed today.

The 21-year-old, who was today given a life sentence for stabbing cabbie Mohammed Mahroof, had been released from custody on licence on Friday, May 4 after being convicted of robbery.

As part of his licence conditions, he had to be back at the probation's hostel by 7pm. He had signed for and complied with all the restrictions placed on him, which would have lasted a year, and a complete log of his movements in and out of the hostel in Old Windsor was kept.

But at 7.20pm on Sunday, May 6 when he did not show up, probation staff tried to contact him by phone. At 9.40pm they reported his non-attendance to police and just before midnight they contacted the Home Office and asked for him to be recalled to prison as he had broken his licence.

From that point, a warrant for his arrest was issued and he was classed as "unlawfully at large".

Just two days later, on Tuesday, May 8, Mustafa stabbed taxi driver Mohammed Mahroof in a botched robbery attempt. He and Asif Akram Mohammed, 26, of Roberts Road, High Wycombe, had planned to rob a cab driver at knife point so they could get some money to buy alcohol.

After fleeing the murder scene, Mustafa called police and handed himself in, saying he had breached his bail conditions. He was arrested outside his home in Mentmore Road with blood still on his hands and wrists.

Paul Gillbard, director of offender management at Thames Valley Probation Service, said: "It is probation's job to ensure offenders adhere to the licence conditions set for them after release from prison. While this was a terrible tragedy, we believe Thames Valley Probation was managing Mohammed Mustafa correctly during his brief time with us.

"We asked the Home Office to recall him to prison within hours of his failure to obey his 7pm curfew on May 6, 2007.

"We manage and minimise risk but sadly it is never possible to completely eliminate it. We would like to offer our sympathy to Mr Mohammed Mahroof's family."

Mohammed was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter at Reading Crown Court on Friday. He will be sentenced at a later date.