A fellow prisoner at HMP Whitemoor has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of convicted killer John Mansfield. A man, 44, has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Mansfield had been serving a life sentence for the murder of his 63-year-old neighbour Ann Alfanso, who was found dead at her home in Whalley Range, Manchester, by her carer in August 2006. Ms Alfanso, who suffered from reduced mobility, had been stabbed around 20 times in the head and neck.
Mansfield was sentenced in 2007 at Manchester Crown Court to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years for her murder. He was handed a second life term in 2014 after stabbing another prisoner with a broken plate at HMP Full Sutton near York.
In total, Ms Alfanso was covered in 97 wounds, bruises and cuts as a result of the heinous attack. A court heard how he had taken cocaine, morphine, methadone and heroin before committing the act of violence.
He dragged Ms Alfanso around in the “frenzied” attack, hunting for cash before escaping with just a handful of coins. The brutal ambush left a trail of blood around her home in Whalley Grange, Manchester.
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.”
At the time of Ann’s murder, Detective Inspector Steve Eckersley 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.”
Mansfield was likely to never be released from prison after receiving a second life order in 2014. 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 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 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 been 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 and 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.”
The Prison and Probation Ombudsman will also investigate Mansfield’s death, as is procedure. The death comes after the Ministry of Justice said it would carry out a review following reports that Manchester bomb plotter Hashem Abedi attacked three prison officers at HMP Frankland, County Durham.
The officers sustained life-threatening injuries after they were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons, according to the trade union covering prison staff.
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