When defendant Stephen Ansbro was arrested at his flat on suspicion of the murder of Jane Collinson he was seen to have what turned out to be self-inflicted knife marks on his neck.
Newcastle Crown Court was told the superficial almost parallel cuts were made by Collinson to back up his account that he was attacked, initially saying, “by someone he would not name.”
He later said the knife would be found in the sink of her (Ms Collinson’s) flat, at Dunelm Court, Barnard Castle, before going on to make largely “no comment” replies to police questions.
In a later pre-prepared statement given to police he claimed Ms Collinson had attacked him with a knife, but he managed to push her onto the sofa and took it from her before placing it in the sink.
Read more: Watch cctv of Barnard Castle killer's movements outside victim's flat
Prosecutor Mark McKone said, however, that Ansbro inflicted the wounds to his neck himself, but they were superficial and almost matching each other.
As forensic and pathological evidence helped to unravel his account, by the time of today’s (Monday September 7) hearing, the defence no longer maintained that Ms Collinson inflicted the cuts to the defendant's neck.
Sixty-year-old Ansbro, of Bowes Lyon House at Dunelm Court, admitted the killing and was given a term of life imprisonment, with a minimum ‘tariff’ of 18 years by the Recorder of Newcastle, Judge Paul Sloan KC.
Read next:
Jane Collinson Barnard Castle murder: killer jailed
Man facing trial for murder of Jane Collinson in Barnard Castle home
Stephen Ansbro accused of Jane Collinson murder in Barnard Castle
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The judge also added a consecutive sentence of four years and nine months for unconnected offences of sexual assault on a teenage girl and child cruelty, committed in the 1990s, which Ansbro, formerly known as Stephen Kay, admitted at the scheduled start of his trial, in June.
He was also made subject of the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining orders relating to both complainants from the 1990s’ offences, all of which will be indefinite, or, effectively, for life.
The effect of the sentences are that Ansbro will be into his 80s before he will be eligible to apply for consideration for parole.
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