Latest news with #JohnMansfield
Telegraph
29-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Prisoner attacks officer with boiling water at high-security jail
A prison officer was scalded by boiling water while another was left with a broken jaw in violent attacks at one of Britain's high-security jails. The two separate attacks took place at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire this week, which houses some of the UK's most dangerous criminals. One officer suffered a fractured jaw and bleeding on the brain after he was assaulted by a prisoner in a workshop, while another was burned when an inmate threw a kettle of boiling water at him when he entered a cell. Last month, convicted murderer John Mansfield was killed by another inmate at the same prison. That attack is alleged to have taken place in HMP Whitemoor's close supervision centre, where prisoners are supposed to be closely monitored. There have already been demands for tougher restrictions on kettles in cells for dangerous offenders after the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana allegedly threw boiling water over an officer at HMP Belmarsh on May 8. The attacks at HMP Whitemoor came just weeks after Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, threw hot cooking oil over three officers. He then stabbed them with two makeshift knives fashioned from baking trays in the kitchen of a separation unit at the high security Frankland jail in county Durham. The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has called for all terrorists and violent prisoners who assault officers to be held in US-style 'supermax' units or separate jail where they are only allowed out of their cells for one hour a day while handcuffed and supervised by three officers. Jonathan Hall, KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, is assessing ways of segregating dangerous offenders including Islamist terrorists after the attack by Abedi, who is serving life for his part in the murder of 22 people in the Manchester Arena bomb. Mr Hall has said he will look at the 'human consequences' of segregating prisoners in such a way that it reduces the risk of violence to 'near zero.' 'Supermax' wing for high risk One option would be to create a 'bespoke' supermax regime such as that found at ADX Florence in Colorado, which holds prisoners who are such a risk that they cannot be housed even in maximum security prisons. The inmates are confined for the most part of the day in single cells with facilities made of poured, reinforced concrete to deter self-harm, and are under 24-hour supervision carried out with high staff to inmate ratios. Mark Fairhurst, chair of the POA, said: 'We need a supermax wing or unit somewhere on the prison estate where we put terrorists and extremely violent prisoners in complete lockdown. It would be for people who are intent on causing serious harm. 'We cannot go on like this. There is going to be a murder of an officer on duty. Things need to change. The problem is the violent people we are now locking up don't care. They don't fear consequences. If they are already facing a life sentence, they are not worried by a couple more years in jail. 'We need lockdown jails where people who commit crimes like that are locked down 23 hours a day. Why not lock them down if they are going to be violent to staff?' Record high jail assaults Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, a record high up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has already ordered a rapid review into whether prison officers should be issued with stab vests to protect them, and a trial to train and equip selected jail staff with Tasers. Access to kitchen facilities in separation centres have been suspended after Abedi's attack. A prison service spokesman said: 'Police are investigating two unacceptable attacks on members of staff at HMP Whitemoor. 'We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking prison officers and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrato
The Independent
24-04-2025
- The Independent
Assaults on prison staff reach highest level in a decade
The number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade, new data shows. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. The rate of assaults on staff stood at 122 per 1,000 prisoners last year, up from 108 in 2023 and 43 a decade earlier. The figures come after several incidents in prisons have raised concerns over staff safety and the standard of protective equipment at work. Four officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12. Convicted killer John Mansfield was also found dead after suffering a head injury at HMP Whitemoor on April 13, with another inmate arrested on suspicion of his murder. Data from the Ministry of Justice also shows the number of serious assaults on prison staff in England and Wales reached 974 last year, up from 853 in 2023 and the highest in a decade. The rate of serious assaults stood at 11 per 1,000 prisoners, up from 10 in 2023 and six in 2014. Reacting to the figures, Prison Officers' Association national chairman Mark Fairhurst said: 'These truly appalling statistics demonstrate the gravity of the situation brave prison officers face on a daily basis. 'The time for platitudes has passed and it is now time for action. 'We need to take back control of our violent and chaotic prisons and ensure staff safety is paramount.' A total of 30,490 assaults of all kinds were recorded in prisons last year, the equivalent of a rate of 351 per 1,000 prisoners. This is up from 26,924 in 2023 and a rate of 315 per 1,000. It is the highest number of assaults in a calendar year since 32,539 were recorded in 2018, while it is the highest rate since 368 per 1,000 in 2019. The overall rate of assaults last year was higher in female jails, at 560 per 1,000 prisoners, than in male establishments, where the rate was 342 per 1,000. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced the use of Tasers will be trialled in prisons and confirmed the prison service will conduct a 'snap review' of the use of protective body armour for prison officers. The Lord Chancellor met with Mr Fairhurst on Wednesday, in what he described as a 'positive and constructive' meeting as he presses for staff to be issued stab proof vests and other safety measures. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'These statistics once again lay bare the extent of the crisis facing our prisons – with levels of violence, assaults on staff and self-harm far too high. 'We will do whatever we can to protect our hardworking staff. The Lord Chancellor has announced a review into protective body armour and a trial of tasers in jails to better respond to serious incidents. 'But it is clear fundamental change is needed, which is why we're also reforming our jails so they create better citizens, not better criminals.' The Ministry of Justice also announced on Thursday that prison officers in public young offender institutions (YOIs) will start using synthetic pepper spray from this summer to combat rising violence from inmates.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Assaults on prison staff reach highest level in a decade
The number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade, new data shows. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. The rate of assaults on staff stood at 122 per 1,000 prisoners last year, up from 108 in 2023 and 43 a decade earlier. The figures come after several incidents in prisons have raised concerns over staff safety and the standard of protective equipment at work. Four officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12. Convicted killer John Mansfield was also found dead after suffering a head injury at HMP Whitemoor on April 13, with another inmate arrested on suspicion of his murder. Data from the Ministry of Justice also shows the number of serious assaults on prison staff in England and Wales reached 974 last year, up from 853 in 2023 and the highest in a decade. The rate of serious assaults stood at 11 per 1,000 prisoners, up from 10 in 2023 and six in 2014. Reacting to the figures, Prison Officers' Association national chairman Mark Fairhurst said: 'These truly appalling statistics demonstrate the gravity of the situation brave prison officers face on a daily basis. 'The time for platitudes has passed and it is now time for action. 'We need to take back control of our violent and chaotic prisons and ensure staff safety is paramount.' A total of 30,490 assaults of all kinds were recorded in prisons last year, the equivalent of a rate of 351 per 1,000 prisoners. This is up from 26,924 in 2023 and a rate of 315 per 1,000. It is the highest number of assaults in a calendar year since 32,539 were recorded in 2018, while it is the highest rate since 368 per 1,000 in 2019. The overall rate of assaults last year was higher in female jails, at 560 per 1,000 prisoners, than in male establishments, where the rate was 342 per 1,000. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced the use of Tasers will be trialled in prisons and confirmed the prison service will conduct a 'snap review' of the use of protective body armour for prison officers. The Lord Chancellor met with Mr Fairhurst on Wednesday, in what he described as a 'positive and constructive' meeting as he presses for staff to be issued stab proof vests and other safety measures. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'These statistics once again lay bare the extent of the crisis facing our prisons – with levels of violence, assaults on staff and self-harm far too high. 'We will do whatever we can to protect our hardworking staff. The Lord Chancellor has announced a review into protective body armour and a trial of tasers in jails to better respond to serious incidents. 'But it is clear fundamental change is needed, which is why we're also reforming our jails so they create better citizens, not better criminals.' The Ministry of Justice also announced on Thursday that prison officers in public young offender institutions (YOIs) will start using synthetic pepper spray from this summer to combat rising violence from inmates.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man arrested on suspicion of murdering convicted killer in prison
An inmate has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a convicted killer at a high-security prison. A Prison Service spokesperson said John Mansfield was found dead at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, on Sunday. Mansfield, 63, was jailed for life in 2007 for the murder of his 63-year-old neighbour Ann Alfanso. Sky News understands he was attacked by another inmate. Cambridgeshire Police said the force was called at around 4.10pm after the body of a man in his 60s was found. "A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. An investigation is ongoing," they said in a statement. It was the second major security breach on the prison estate over the weekend after the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber attacked three officers on Saturday. The Prison Officers Association (POA) said 28-year-old Hashem Abedi - the brother of Salman Abedi - threw hot cooking oil over the guards before stabbing them with "improvised knives", potentially made from a baking tray. The Ministry of Justice said it will carry out a review following the attack at HMP Frankland, County Durham. Mansfield was 45 when he was sentenced in 2007 at Manchester Crown Court to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years for Ms Alfanso's murder. She was found dead at her home in Whalley Range, Manchester, by her carer in August 2006 after being stabbed around 20 times in the head and neck. He was handed a second life sentence in 2014 for stabbing another prisoner with a broken plate at HMP Full Sutton near York. Earlier this month, three prisoners serving life sentences at Whitemoor were handed extra jail time for an attack on a prison officer in August 2023. The high-security prison has a capacity of 458 adult male prisoners who are mostly serving long sentences.
Sky News
14-04-2025
- Sky News
Man arrested on suspicion of murdering convicted killer in prison
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a convicted killer's death at a high-security prison where he was serving a life sentence. A Prison Service spokesperson said John Mansfield was found dead at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, on Sunday. "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," a spokesperson said. Mansfield, 63, was jailed for life in 2007 for the murder of his 63-year-old neighbour Ann Alfanso. Cambridgeshire Police said the force was called at around 4.10pm after the body of a man in his 60s was found. "A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. An investigation is ongoing," they said in a statement. It was the second major security breach on the prison estate over the weekend after the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber attacked three officers on Saturday. The Prison Officers Association (POA) said 28-year-old Hashem Abedi - the brother of Salman Abedi - threw hot cooking oil over the guards before stabbing them with "improvised knives", potentially made from a baking tray. The Ministry of Justice said it will carry out a review following following the attack at HMP Frankland, County Durham. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
