A convicted murderer serving a life sentence has been killed by another prisoner inside one of Britain’s highest-security jails, marking the latest in a string of violent incidents across the prison estate.
John Mansfield, 63, was fatally attacked on Sunday, April 13, in the Close Supervision Centre (CSC) at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire—an area specifically designed for Britain’s most dangerous offenders. Despite immediate intervention from prison staff, Mansfield could not be saved.
A 44-year-old inmate has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a police investigation is now underway.
History of Extreme Violence Behind Bars
Mansfield was originally jailed for life in 2007 for the brutal, drug-fuelled murder of his neighbour, 63-year-old Ann Alfanso, who was stabbed nearly 100 times in her Manchester home. He had 75 previous convictions and was described by a judge as a “very dangerous criminal” with a record of extreme violence.
His death comes just one day after three prison officers were viciously attacked at HMP Frankland in County Durham by Manchester Arena bomber Hashem Abedi, who doused them in boiling oil and stabbed them with improvised weapons inside the prison’s separation centre.
A System Under Pressure
Former prison governor and Government adviser on prison extremism, Professor Ian Acheson, warned that the incidents signal a collapse in security inside Britain’s most secure facilities.
“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,” Acheson said.
“This is completely unacceptable. But it is also becoming normalised.”
He cited a 2023 report from the Chief Inspector that labelled HMP Whitemoor as the “filthiest” prison ever inspected, adding: “If you can’t get the bins emptied in these places, you can be sure everything else is going wrong too.”
Ministry of Justice Confirms Investigation
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice 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.”
Repeat Offender With a Violent Legacy
Mansfield, originally from Manchester, was unlikely ever to be released. In 2014, he received a second life sentence for attacking fellow inmate John Orme, a convicted rapist, at HMP Full Sutton. Mansfield slashed Orme with a broken plate, severing an artery and leaving him needing 22 stitches. The attack was reportedly over a dispute involving a cooking pot.
He also had a 2011 conviction for assaulting another prisoner with a chair leg in Manchester’s Strangeways Prison.
During sentencing in 2014, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC described Mansfield as a man who “regards violence as the norm”, adding:
“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.”
A Senseless Murder
Mansfield had previously admitted to the 2006 murder of Ann Alfanso, a disabled woman who relied on home help. Her body was found with 97 wounds, including stabbings to the head and neck. Police at the time described the attack as “inhuman and senseless”, and believed Mansfield acted for nothing more than “a pocketful of change.”
Detective Inspector Steve Eckerlsey said at the time:
“Ann was an easy target, and her murderer knew it. He went from a seemingly helpful neighbour to a savage killer. We may never understand why.”
As investigations into Mansfield’s death continue, serious questions are being asked about how such violence could occur inside the most secure wings of the prison system—and whether more lives could be at risk.
