Killer Stephen Ansbro was captured on camera, coming and going from his victim, Jane Collinson’s flat, on the day of her killing, his sentencing hearing was told today (Mon Aug 7).
Ms Collinson was last seen alive by anyone in her family when her partner left the one-bedroom flat, at 9.15am on Friday March 3
Closed circuit tv footage from the corridor outside, in Dunelm Court sheltered housing complex, in Barnard Castle, showed Ansbro approaching on his electric wheelchair at 11.30am, knocking on her door and entering the flat.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that the 60-year-old defendant spent most of the next seven hours at the flat, by 6.14pm coming out and taking his wheelchair back in, before re-emerging at 6.41pm and tampering with the lock for about a minute.
Read more: Jane Collinson Barnard Castle murder: killer jailed
The court heard he found a means of activating the inside bolt from outside the flat, to make it seem as if his victim had locked herself in, all to build up an image of her supposedly having taken her own life following a purported initial attack on the defendant.
It was only the following afternoon that concerned family members, who had been unable to make contact with her, forced the door to make the grim discovery of Ms Collinson’s heavily blood-stained body in her dressing gown on the settee.
The 59-year-old grandmother died from blood loss due to stab injuries.
Read next:
Stephen Ansbro accused of Jane Collinson murder in Barnard Castle
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Man facing trial for murder of Jane Collinson in Barnard Castle home
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Despite Ansbro’s attempts to bluff his way out, the court was told today he now admitted the murder on the terms outlined by the prosecution, leading to a sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum of 18 years behind bars being imposed.
Further sentences totalling 57 months (four years and nine months) were added for historic sexual offences on a teenager, a single count of child cruelty and a case of breaching bail conditions.
All add up to the fact Ansbro, previously known as Kay, will have to spend at least 20 more years in prison before being eligible to apply for parole.
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