Police on the Channel Island of Alderney have launched their first murder investigation since World War Two after the body of a 34-year-old woman was found in the sea. The body of mother-of-two Hannah Benfield, nee Cox, was discovered at the base of cliffs on the western end of the island early on Monday (28 September).
Arrest made in connection with death
A 44-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of murder, which reports say is the first such charge on the island since World War Two. He was initially receiving treatment in hospital in Alderney but has since been held in police custody.
A spokesperson from Guernsey Police said: “Alderney is a small, close-knit community, and the impact of an incident of this nature on a community like that cannot be overstated.”
Emergency response and identification
Guernsey Police said they received a report after 11pm on Sunday (27 September), which led to emergency services, including the RNLI lifeboat, attending the cliffs around Alderney known as The Guns. At 4:28am on Monday, Channel Islands Air Search reported a sighting of a person in the water at the base of the cliffs. After a joint rescue operation, a woman was confirmed deceased.
The Channel Island has a resident population of just 2,167 people. Specialist family liaison officers have been working closely with Hannah’s family since the search and rescue operation concluded, and they have agreed to release her identity and her photograph.
Community reaction
Alderney vicar, Mother Samantha Martell, said the tragic incident has “shaken” the island’s “close-knit community”. She said: “What the community needs to do now is really come together, to look after one another. Not to speculate, not to judge, but just to be what we can be, a real community. Something like this, you read about it and it’s always what happens to other people, but we are now other people. It’s an absolute tragedy... but I think it will make us stronger as a community and draw us all together.”
States of Alderney member Derwent Smithurst said the news is “shocking” and he could not “believe it’s happened in this small community”. He added: “It’s something that happens elsewhere, not in Alderney. We’re a great community so we should all pull together and think of the family... they will be devastated but we do have the strength of our community.”
Police appeal
A spokesperson for Guernsey Police said: “The family has also asked that people respect their privacy as they take time to come to terms with what has happened. Guernsey Police would again like to express its condolences to the family and to anyone else affected by this incident.”
Guernsey Police are not looking for any other suspects and do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the wider community in Alderney. Detectives are looking to see any dashcam footage from vehicles travelling along Rue De Longis in Alderney, or other parts of the west of the island, from between 7.30pm and 11pm on Sunday 27 September, as part of the investigation. Police are requesting any relevant information to be reported to them on: 01481 222222.
