A prisoner who strangled his cellmate and then told prison officers, "I've killed my padmate," has been found guilty of murder. The body of Neil Ashby, 49, was discovered in his cell at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire in July 2025. He had been strangled, and the words "They killed us" were written on his back on his bed. The cell was shared with Jonathan Alcide, 36, who later alerted prison staff to the death by ringing a buzzer at 6:12 a.m. on 1 July and making the statement that led to his arrest. Before his death, Mr. Ashby had raised concerns about Alcide's mental state with other inmates in the weeks leading up to the killing. At a trial at Stafford Crown Court, it was revealed that Alcide had asked a prison doctor to certify him as sick due to "severe post-traumatic stress disorder and paranoia" and described himself to a forensic psychologist as an "angel turned into demon." Alcide denied murder, claiming he was not guilty by reason of insanity and instead guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. The jury, composed of eight women and four men, delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after more than nine hours of deliberation. One juror was seen crying in the courtroom as the verdict was announced. During the trial, the prosecution argued that Alcide had planned the murder in advance. Mr. Ashby, described as "quiet and decent" by fellow prisoners, had declined multiple cell moves despite his concerns about Alcide. He had even brought meals to Alcide after the latter stopped leaving his room. Inmates noted that Alcide had become increasingly withdrawn, reading the Koran and expressing fear of God. On 30 June, Mr. Ashby reportedly told another prisoner that Alcide had said, "I'm worried I'm going to strangle you, Neil." When prison officers entered the cell after Alcide summoned them, they found Mr. Ashby's body on the bottom bunk with blood on Alcide's shirt and messages written on the wall in pen and blood, including "I did not slay them" and "they killed us... help." Alcide, who had superficial cuts on his wrists, remained calm and said, "I'm sorry boss, I've killed him." The court heard that a post-mortem showed Mr. Ashby died from neck pressure, likely due to a ligature or a chokehold. The case involved expert testimony from multiple psychiatrists, with the defense suggesting Alcide may have been suffering from severe depression, psychosis, or paranoid delusions. The prosecution’s expert said the jury had to decide whether to accept Alcide's claims about his mental state at the time of the killing. Judge Avik Mukherjee thanked the jury for their service and noted the emotional toll the case had taken on them. He stated that Alcide would be sentenced on 17 November, and that psychiatrists would be required to assess him before the hearing. Alcide, who stood in the dock with his hands clasped, acknowledged the judge's instructions and said he understood he must attend the sentencing hearing.