Exclusive: The Chilling Three-Word Welcome at 'Monster Mansion' Prison
A former inmate who served time in the same high-security facility as Soham killer Ian Huntley has disclosed the horrifying three-word message that confronts new arrivals at HMP Frankland. Huntley, aged 52, was allegedly assaulted with a spiked metal pole inside the prison workshop yesterday morning, leaving him critically injured and lying in a pool of blood. Following the attack, another inmate reportedly declared, "I've done it," adding to the grim atmosphere of the institution.
The Infamous 'Welcome to Hell' Inscription
Ricky Killeen, an ex-offender who previously spent time at HMP Frankland after involvement in a machete attack, now provides insights into life within the Category A prison through his Behind the Bars TV YouTube channel. He recounted to this reporter an unsettling sign that haunted him upon arrival.
He recalled: "My first impression of Frankland Prison was 'WELCOME TO HELL' inscribed inside the holding cell in reception. The other lads I was transferred with were terrified because of the rumours they had heard about how bad it is."
Killeen continued, explaining that while Wakefield Prison is the original 'Monster Mansion,' Frankland has earned the same nickname in local press due to housing some of Britain's most notorious criminals. These include Levi Bellfield, Ian Huntley, and Wayne Couzens, among others who have committed heinous crimes.
HMP Frankland: A Notorious Facility for Dangerous Criminals
Located in Brasside village, County Durham, HMP Frankland first opened in 1983 and can accommodate up to 850 male prisoners aged over 21, typically serving sentences of four years or longer. The prison has gained notoriety for detaining the country's most dangerous offenders, including murderers and serial killers who are serving life sentences.
In October 2011, a brutal incident occurred when Mitchell Harrison, a 23-year-old imprisoned for child rape, was killed at Frankland. Inmates Michael Parr and Nathan Mann slashed his neck with a scalpel and razor blade, then sliced open his abdomen after his death. They abandoned plans to consume his liver, and both received life sentences for the killing.
Violence and Brutality Witnessed Firsthand
Ricky Killeen, who now supports rehabilitated offenders, also shared accounts of the extreme violence he witnessed during his time at Frankland. He described seeing a terrorist have hot oil poured over his head, causing severe burns, and numerous stabbings in the neck. One inmate had a coffee jar full of chilli powder forced into his neck, and mini-riots were common, though the hot oil incident was the worst he observed.
Other notorious prisoners at Frankland include Michael Adebolajo, Colin Pitchfork, Harold Shipman, Charles Bronson, and Peter Sutcliffe. Inmates are housed in individual cells equipped with a television, washbasin, and lavatory, with those demonstrating good behaviour rewarded with games consoles and DVD players.
Huntley's Recent Disciplinary Issues and the Attack
Prison insiders reveal that Ian Huntley had his Xbox confiscated earlier this year due to breaches of discipline and contraband regulations, which left him "upset." He was subsequently moved to a wing typically reserved for older prisoners, with a source stating, "He loved his Xbox and played it all the time. But he's most upset at being moved from his cell to one on the bottom floor next to all the old fogies on the wing."
The suspect in Huntley's assault is triple murderer Anthony Russell, who allegedly declared "I've killed him" after the attack. Following the brutal incident on February 26, a Durham Constabulary spokesperson confirmed that Huntley remains in serious condition in hospital with head injuries. Forensic teams have examined the scene, and a suspect in his mid-40s has been identified but not arrested, remaining in detention within the prison.
