Convicted murderer James Ford who confronted London Bridge terrorist Usman Khan while on day release is moved to new jail after death threats

  • James Ford, 42, tried to save Saskia Jones, 23, by performing CPR after stabbing 
  • He was on day release from Standford Hill open prison, Kent, to attend the event
  • Ford is serving a life sentence for the murder of 21-year-old Amanda Champion
  • She was found strangled and throat cut in 2003 near her home in Ashford, Kent 

By Emily Webber For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Convicted murderer James Ford who confronted London Bridge terrorist Usman Khan has been moved to another jail following death threats. 

James Ford, 42, tried to save Saskia Jones, 23, by performing CPR after she was fatally stabbed by Khan in the attack which also killed 25-year-old Jack Merritt. 

He then attempted to stop Khan in his tracks before rushing onto London Bridge to join others in tackling the terrorist to the ground before he was shot dead by police.  

Convicted murderer James Ford, 42, has been moved to a new jail after death threats
Ford is serving a life sentence for the murder of Amanda Champion, 21, in 2003

Convicted murderer James Ford, 42, (left) has been moved to a new jail after death threats. Ford is serving a life sentence for the murder of Amanda Champion, 21, in 2003 (right) 

Ford was on day release from Standford Hill open prison, Kent, to attend the Learning Together prisoner rehabilitation conference at Fishmongers' Hall on November 29. 

He is serving a life sentence for the murder for a 21-year-old woman in 2003. 

Amanda Champion – who had the mental age of a 15-year-old – was found strangled and with her throat cut on waste ground near her home in Ashford, Kent. 

Ford attempted to stop Khan in his tracks before rushing onto London Bridge to join others in tackling him to the ground before he was shot dead by police

Ford attempted to stop Khan in his tracks before rushing onto London Bridge to join others in tackling him to the ground before he was shot dead by police

Usman Khan, who was shot dead by police for murdering two people on London Bridge

Usman Khan, who was shot dead by police for murdering two people on London Bridge

Police had no leads in the case until a Samaritans worker broke the organisation’s strict confidentiality policy and revealed that Ford, a factory worker and amateur wrestler, had called and confessed: 'I’ve killed a girl.'

Whitehall sources confirmed that Ford – who had been serving the final days of his sentence at HMP Standford Hill, an open prison in Kent – was on London Bridge. 

However Amanda's aunt, Angela Cox said Ford should have been 'locked up' and added: 'He is not a hero. He's a murderer.'

It is unclear where the threats relating to Ford came from but he was transferred to a closed prison.  

'Management decided it was best to move him because of the threats - some were saying he should have died because of what he did. 

'It was thought best for his own protection he should switch prisons,' a prison source told The Sun.  

Jack Merritt (pictured) and Saskia Jones were killed in the terror attack on London Bridge on November 29
Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones (pictured) were killed in the terror attack on London Bridge

Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones were killed in the terror attack on London Bridge

Online threats against him began just hours after the terrorist attack and Ford was transferred to the higher-security Elmley Prison in Eastchurch. 

The move is only for a few weeks and Ford will be back at Standford Hill in the New Year, according to the prison source.

Ford is expected to be released next autumn and is set to have a parole hearing in April 2020.    

London

Most watched News videos