Convicted assassin ‘killed in jail’ years after stabbing rapist with damaged plate
Convicted murderer John Mansfield was serving a life sentence but had his life cut short in HMP Whitemoor over the weekend as police say an inmate has been arrested on suspicion of murder
A prisoner has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a convicted killer died behind bars.
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed police are investigating the death of convicted killer John Mansfield inside HMP Whitemoor prison on Sunday, April 13. Mansfield, 63, was imprisoned for life in 2007 for the murder of his 63-year-old neighbour Ann Alfanso. The murderer received another life sentence in 2014 after he stabbed another prisoner using broken plates after violence broke out during cooking chores.
Mansfield is said to have been killed inside the prison’s close supervision centre. A Ministry of Justice spokesman has 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.”
Mansfield, who has amassed a total of 75 convictions throughout his life, died on Sunday, April 13, following reports he’d been attacked inside HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Police are investigating the death of prisoner John Mansfield at HMP Whitemoor on Sunday 13 April. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Mansfield had previously approached inmate and rapist John Orme in his cell in 2014 and stabbed him seven times.
Sentencing Mansfield to a second life term, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, said: “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, 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.”
Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who has advised the government on extremism, said: “Two violent incidents over the weekend at our highest security prisons have lifted the lid on a collapse of security and safety for both staff and prisoners.
“This is completely unacceptable. But it is also becoming normalised. HMP Whitemoor, a modern, purpose built maximum security prison was described in 2023 by the Chief Inspector as the ‘filthiest’ prison he had ever inspected. If you can’t get the bins emptied in these places you can be sure everything else is going wrong too.”
The second incident the governor is referring to is an attack by Manchester Arena terrorist in HMP Frankland. Read the full story here.
