Norwich Murderer Kills Again In Jail

20 September 2013, 06:49 | Updated: 20 September 2013, 06:56

A Norwich murderer's been found guilty of killing a convicted child-killer at a maximum security jail.

44-year-old Lee Newell has been found guilty of murdering a fellow inmate in prison. 24 year old Subhan Anwar was in jail for the death of his partner's two year old.

A fellow prisoner 48-year-old Gary Smith was also convicted of Anwar's murder at Warwick Crown Court.

Neither Newell nor Smith showed any emotion as they were unanimously convicted after the jury had deliberated for around three-and-a-half hours.

Jurors heard how Smith calmly made Newell a cup of hot chocolate - even sweetening it with icing sugar - during a stand-off with prison staff after Anwar was strangled.

Prison staff were initially told Anwar had been taken hostage because the two inmates were ``bored'' - with Newell telling a warder: ``He's gone, he's with Allah.''

Both defendants opted not to give evidence at the trial, but CCTV and DNA evidence proved they were involved in the killing.

Prison officers told the trial how they found Anwar's body at about 8.20pm after taking Smith and Newell from the victim's cell to a segregation unit.

Smith and Newell, who were found in possession of property belonging to Anwar, were recorded on CCTV entering his cell during a period of free association at about 6pm.

Jurors also convicted Newell of stealing a watch, prayer beads and a metal earring belonging to Anwar, while Smith admitted the theft of property from the child-killer's cell.

Newell was jailed for life in 1989 at Norwich Crown Court for murdering a woman who was strangled in March of the previous year.

He conned his way into neighbour 56-year-old Mary Neal's home in the city by pretending he had a parcel.

He gagged her and stabbed her to death after she threatened to call police, then hid the body under the stairs.

He stole £60 from her purse and her body wasn't found for 10 days.

In a statement issued after Smith and Newell were convicted of Anwar's murder, Detective Chief Inspector Jon Marsden, of West Mercia Police, said: "We still do not know exactly what happened that day in Subhan Anwar's cell and Smith and Newell have not given a reason as to why they visited him.

"I believe they have been utterly cowardly for not giving an explanation for their actions.

"Both were well-known to their victim and there was no sign of a forced entry or a struggle in the cell.''

The senior detective added: ``Whatever Subhan's status as a convicted prisoner, no one deserves to be killed in this way and it has caused his family a great deal of heartache.''

In a statement released by West Mercia Police, Anwar's family described him as a model prisoner and claimed Newell and Smith were "animals''.

The statement read: "No family of any person in or out of prison should go through the pain, torment and loss of a person like we are.

"We believed Subhan was innocent of the crime he was imprisoned for and despite his murder, we will continue our attempts for the case to be appealed.

"We as a family are devastated by this loss.

"We have received many condolences, cards, letters and even a collection from other prisoners in Long Lartin. They, like us, are in complete disbelief, shocked and saddened by how Subhan was killed by Smith and Newell.''