John Cannan: Prime suspect in the 1989 murder of Suzy Lamplugh dies in prison aged 70

John Cannan was jailed for a minimum of 35 years in 1989 for the rape and murder of Bristol newlywed Shirley Banks, along with a further sexual offence, an attempted kidnapping and two offences of abduction with intent to engage in unlawful sexual intercourse. In 2002 he was named as the prime suspect in the 1986 disappearance of the estate agent, which he denied.

Miss Lamplugh was declared dead, presumed murdered, after going missing at the age of 25, having left her west London office to meet a mystery client known only as Mr Kipper. In 2018, police carried out excavations at Cannan’s mother’s former home in Sutton Coldfield but nothing was found.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP Full Sutton prisoner John Cannan died on 6 November. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

In October of last year the parole board found he was too dangerous to release. The panel heard that Cannan still insisted that he was innocent and had not engaged in any accredited programmes to address the risk of reoffending while in jail.

It was told that at the time of his crimes, Cannan thought he was entitled to sex whenever he wanted it, preferred it to include violence and wanted power and control over women. He was a category A prisoner, those who pose the highest risk to the public.

The panel concluded: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Cannan should be transferred to an open prison.”