2:14PM, Fri Jul 13, 2012

Prisoners Disembowelled Fellow Frankland Inmate To Eat His Liver

By James Marley Location: Newcastle Crown Court

Victim Mitchell Harrison

Two prisoners who disembowelled an inmate so they could eat his liver were told by a judge that they are likely to spend the rest of their lives in jail.

Michael Parr, 33, and Nathan Mann, 24, shared fantasies of killing while serving life sentences in neighbouring cells at Frankland Prison, County Durham.

They lured child rapist Mitchell Harrison, 23, into Mann's cell where he was pinned down by Parr, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Mann, described by a psychiatrist as "a remorseless, callous psychopath" who "harbours cannibalistic urges" and is "one of the most dangerous men in the criminal justice system" cut his neck with a scalpel made from plastic cutlery and a razor blade.

He also stabbed him in the eye with a pen and, after he was dead, cut his stomach open.

He and Parr had planned to cut Harrison's liver in half and share it, but could not bring themselves to do it, the court heard.

Harrison, who was serving an indeterminate sentence for raping a 13-year-old girl in Kendal, Cumbria, in 2009, was found dead by prison guards as they released inmates from their cells on the morning of October 1 2011.

Jailed killer: Michael Andrew Parr

Robert Smith QC said Mann told prison staff he had attacked Harrison.

"He told prison officer Graham in a calm manner that there was a dead body in the cell," he said.

Officers found Harrison lying on the bed, surrounded by blood.

"When asked why they did this, both of them shrugged their shoulders," Mr Smith said.

"Nathan Mann said he had chosen the deceased because he was arrogant and they didn't like him.

"He said they had planned it for a while and just fancied doing it.

"There was nothing to suggest a fight or even a scuffle had taken place."

Callous psychopath: Nathan Mann

Mann said he tried to snap Harrison's neck before proceeding with the horrific attack, the court heard.

Both men were arrested and taken to Durham police station, where Mann admitted he and Parr had shared fantasies about killing.

"Nathan Mann told police that, after he had come to know his co-accused, he told Parr he had thoughts about killing people and that Parr had told him he thought the same way," Mr Smith said.

"They both agreed that they would do it and that they would eat his liver afterwards.

"They intended to remove his liver and cut it in half so they could both eat it."

But they were too shocked by the injuries they had inflicted to go through with it, he added.

Parr was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 32 years.

Mann was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years on top of his current sentence.