Double child murderer Ian Huntley reportedly foresaw the near-fatal attack he suffered in prison, telling relatives he hoped any assault would be 'quick and painless'. The 52-year-old, serving a 40-year sentence for the murders of 10-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in Soham in 2002, was attacked with a 3ft-long iron bar at a recycling workshop inside HMP Frankland in County Durham.
A prison source quoted in The Sun revealed that Huntley knew 'they'll get me sooner or later', having been warned by inmates that he would be 'done'. The source said: 'Huntley knew he was hated and that five or six inmates wanted him dead. There had been intelligence reports about an attack. He even said that if he was killed, he wanted it to be as quick and painless as possible.'
The prime suspect in the attack has been named as triple killer Anthony Russell, although police and prison authorities have not confirmed his identity. Huntley had recently begun working in a prison workshop and using the gym, changes that brought him into closer contact with prisoners who might wish to target him.
On Friday evening, Huntley was reportedly given a 5% chance of survival after his head was 'split in two' during the assault. A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: 'The 52-year-old man remains in hospital in a serious condition, there have been no changes overnight.'
