An inmate at a high security UK prison has been arrested following the death of a convicted murderer. The 44-year-old was arrested on suspicion of the murder of John Mansfield, who was serving a life sentence for murder at HMP Whitemoor after stabbing his neighbour to death in 2006.
Ann Alfanso, 63, was found with 20 stab wounds on her head and neck. In total, she was covered in 97 wounds, bruises and cuts on her body as a result of the heinous attack. Mansfield, her neighbour, admitted to the killing and was told he would serve a minimum of 30 years. His victim, who had reduced mobility and suffered from ill health, was being looked after by a carer at the time. It was her carer who found her body.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said officers were called at about 4.10pm on Sunday “following the discovery of the body of a man in his 60s at HMP Whitemoor near March”.
“A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. An investigation is ongoing,” the spokesperson continued.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Police are investigating the death of prisoner John Mansfield at HMP Whitemoor on Sunday, April 13.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.” The Prison and Probation Ombudsman will also investigate, as is procedure.
In 2014, Mansfield was slapped with a second life sentence and told he would never be released from jail after stabbing a fellow inmate with a broken plate in a row over a cooking pot.
Mansfield walked up to rapist John Orme in his cell and told him ‘I have a present for you’ before slashing him seven times, Hull crown court heard. The cold-blooded attack in Full Sutton Prison near York severed his victim’s artery and required 22 stitches.
Serial thug Mansfield – who had 75 previous convictions – was also convicted of wounding a man he hated with a chair leg inside Manchester’s Strangeways Prison.
When he was sentenced to a second life term, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told him: “This was a pre-planned and calculating attack on a fellow inmate. You would have carried on had you not be prevented.
“I doubt very much it will ever be safe to release you. I have no doubt you are a very dangerous criminal who regards violence as the norm, who has no hesitation but to kill when necessary.
“You killed an old lady. Now you have convictions for two violent offences in prison. I have every reason to believe it will never be safe to release you. You are a violent and very dangerous man who poses a considerable threat to the public.”
Mansfield, from Manchester, was cleared of attempted murder but had earlier pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.
During a two-day trial he revealed he “wanted to maim” Orme so he could get moved to another prison. Mansfield chillingly told the jury: “If I wanted to kill him I would have.”
Orme told the court he had just finished prison work and had got some water before lunch time lock up on November 1 last year when Mansfield walked into his cell.
He said: “I was not on friendly terms. He had given a pot of mine to someone else. That was four weeks before. We had fallen out.
“He reached into the right pocket of his pants. The next think a plate came up and he started stabbing me with it.
“I thought I was going to get killed. If it hadn’t been for the other prisoner running in the room I don’t think he would have stopped.”
At the time of Ann’s murder, Detective Inspector Steve Eckerlsey said: “The murder of this woman was shocking enough in its violence and cowardice, but for her murderer to repeatedly state that he couldn’t even remember stabbing her almost 100 times is even more astonishing.
“Ann was an easy target as she wasn’t able to move very quickly and had to have home help, as her neighbour Mansfield knew only too well.
“He has admitted that he used to talk to Ann, and even do some shopping for her occasionally.
“We will never know or understand what made him turn from a seemingly helpful neighbour into a savage killer that day.
“It would appear the only thing Mansfield got out of murdering Ann was a pocketful of small change.
“His actions that day were totally senseless and inhuman, but he knew exactly what he was doing.”
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