Man accused of murdering lover found hanging in his cell six years after he was released from jail for killing ANOTHER girlfriend
Simon Mellors, 56, was found dead in Strangeways as he awaited trial over the car crash death of mum-of-six Janet Scott and the attempted murder of a traffic warden
A MAN accused of killing his girlfriend after she dumped him has been found dead behind bars - six years after his release from a 'life' sentence for murdering his former lover.
Market trader Simon Mellors, 56, was found hanged in Strangeways as he awaited a trial over the car crash death of bubbly mum-of-six Janet Scott and the attempted murder of a traffic warden.
In 1999 evil Mellors was jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years for bludgeoning to death Pearl Black, 36, with an iron bar after she confessed she was leaving him for a new boyfriend.
But the killer got a High Court judge to lower that to a minimum 12 years after arguing he was drunk, suffering immense strain and depressed when he attacked the mum-of-two, his partner of 10 years.
And then he convinced a parole board he was safe to be released back into society on licence claiming he no longer suffered depression.
Last night the family of Lidl checkout girl Janet, 51, demanded answer from authorities saying: "We have been let down by the justice system on so many levels - life should mean life."
Mellors began dating four times married Janet - then working at Nottingham City Hospital providing meals for patients - at Easter last year.
But he only admitted he was a convicted killer six weeks later after she had formed an emotional attachment.
Despite posing for happy snaps in Xmas jumpers, Janet harboured deep concerns over his controlling behaviour and violent past.
Estranged husband Chris Scott, 51, who she married in 2014, began staying back at the local authority family home in Arnold, Nottingham.
Janet sent Mellors an emotional 'last text' on January 12 pleading: "I've been trying to talk to you but the words don't come. I'm not happy - I want us to be just be friends.
"I feel trapped by your (murder) conviction and rules. I want us to stop please. I don't want a future any more...I want to be me again."
Family were forced to collect her from Lidl in Arnold as he hung around outside, and he began creating excuses to visit the house such as collecting belongings.
Then came a chilling threat to hunt down Chris Scott with his car, run him over and kill him.
Mellors, of Berkeley Court, Nottingham, was charged with murder in January this year after an investigation into the death of 51-year-old former NHS worker Janet Scott.
The 56-year-old was also charged with the attempted murder of a man in his 30s who suffered non-life-threatening injuries when a vehicle crashed into Ms Scott on January 29.
Ms Scott, from Arnold, was pronounced dead at the scene in Peel Street, Nottingham.
Mellors - arrested at the scene and rushed to hospital - appeared before city magistrates in a wheelchair by video link two days later.
He was remanded to Manchester's Strangeways prison before a next appearance on March 26.
The court was not told of his previous murder in which Pearl was battered to death in her bed at their home Bramcote, Nottingham, on May 5, 1999.
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Last night Janet's oldest child gas fitter Jonathan Winfield, 32, fumed: "He has taken the coward's way out by killing himself.
"Mellors is a man who cannot take rejection. He was clearly still a danger when released on licence."
A Prison Service spokesman said: “HMP Manchester prisoner Simon Mellors died in custody on Sunday. As with all deaths in custody, there will be an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman."