HMP Altcourse Murder: Kier Owen Michael Charged With Killing Fellow Inmate Darren Ashcroft

An HMP Altcourse inmate will today (17 November) appear at court charged with the murder of fellow prisoner Darren Ashcroft at the Liverpool prison.

Kier Owen Michael, 41, was arrested on Friday following an assault that killed 35-year-old Ashcroft, from Liverpool.

Officers were called to the category B prison at about 11.10am on Friday following a report that a man had been assaulted.

The victim was taken to Aintree University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short while later. He had been due for release fairly soon before the attack.

A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender but was bailed and returned to the Fazakerley prison.

A 32-year-old man was also arrested on Friday on suspicion of murder but has been released and returned to prison custody.

A statement by G4S, the security firm that runs the hospital, said: "We are saddened to report that an incident took place at HMP Altcourse earlier today during which a prisoner was killed.

"The circumstances of the incident are being investigated by the police and therefore it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."