A man accused of murdering Alisha Samuels has allegedly been attacked and robbed by fellow inmates days after being remanded in custody at HMP Liverpool in Walton.
Lawrence Johnson, 26, was charged with the murder of Ms Samuels and the attempted murder of another man. He was arrested alongside Carl Hardy, 19, and Tony Evans, also 19, and all three have appeared in court and remain in custody.
Ms Samuels, 26, was found with stab wounds in Dorking Avenue, Manchester, at about 2am on October 15. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Footage circulating on social media appears to show Johnson being threatened, struck and ordered around inside a prison cell. Wearing a grey tracksuit, he is seen being ushered into a corner of the room by other inmates.
One man can be heard saying: “Bro, you’re getting chopped up. Lawrence, say sorry! Sit down bro, smash him up!”
Another inmate then says: “Take his s**t off him.”
The Ministry of Justice said the incident had been dealt with swiftly and that violence would not be tolerated in prisons.
A spokesman added: “Having a phone behind bars is unacceptable and we have ordered the immediate removal of these posts while investigating how this was able to happen.”
Friends described Ms Samuels as a “beautiful soul” and “beautiful inside and out” following her death.
Aimee Quinn wrote: “How is this real life? How am I going to live without speaking to you every day with all of my problems?
“I can’t believe I’m never going to hear your daft one-liners or belly laugh with you again, no more holidays and all the plans we had to travel the world together.”
Another friend said Ms Samuels was “one of the kindest, funniest people I’ve ever met” and that they would always be grateful to have known her.
Donna, who laid flowers at the scene and whose daughter attended school with Ms Samuels, said she had a “smile that would light up every room”.
Detective Chief Inspector Justin Bryant said his thoughts remained with Ms Samuels’s family and friends as they came to terms with what he described as a “devastating loss”.
He thanked members of the public who had supported the investigation and urged anyone with information, however insignificant it might seem, to come forward.
