A murder investigation has been launched on the Channel Island of Alderney after a 34-year-old woman was found dead in the sea—the first such case on the island since World War II.
Mother-of-two Hannah Benfield, née Cox, was discovered in the water at the base of cliffs on the western end of Alderney early on Monday, September 28. A 44-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of murder. According to reports, it is the first such charge on the island since the Second World War.
Alderney, located in the English Channel near the coast of France, has a resident population of just 2,167 people.
Arrest and police statement
The arrested man was initially receiving treatment in a hospital on Alderney. He has since been held in police custody.
A spokesperson for 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."
Specialist family liaison officers have been working closely with Ms Benfield's family since the search and rescue operation concluded. The family have agreed to release her identity and her photograph.
Discovery and emergency response
Guernsey Police received a report after 11pm on Sunday, September 27, which led to emergency services, including the RNLI lifeboat, attending the cliffs around Alderney known as The Guns.
Channel Islands Air Search reported a sighting of a person in the water at the base of the cliffs at 4:28am on Monday morning. Following the joint rescue operation, a woman was confirmed deceased.
Community reaction
Speaking to the BBC, 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 noted that the news is 'shocking' and he could not 'believe it 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."
Ongoing investigation
A spokesperson for Guernsey Police stated: "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 said they do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the wider community in Alderney and are not looking for any other suspects. Detectives are looking for 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, as part of the investigation. Police are requesting any relevant information to be reported to them on 01481 222222.
