Soham killer Ian Huntley put himself at risk of attack after gaining weight behind bars, a source told the Daily Mail. Last year, Huntley had to be put on a diet and fitness regime, which included individually tailored personal training sessions. This required him to leave his cell more often to attend gym workouts and visit the prison's healthcare block.
The source said: 'Huntley's best chance of remaining safe from attack by other prisoners has always been to keep his head down as much as possible. But last year he put himself in a position where he drew attention to himself. He had gained so much weight that a diet and exercise regime had to be worked out for him... More movement around the prison estate means more people notice you and in Huntley's case that's bad news.'
Huntley, who is serving a life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, was assaulted in a workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday morning. He remains in hospital on life support, in a medically induced coma after surgery, reliant on a ventilator to breathe. The attack saw him beaten around the head three times with a metal spike.
Durham Constabulary has confirmed a prisoner in his mid-40s has been identified as a suspect but not arrested. It is understood to be 43-year-old Anthony Russell, who is serving a whole life term for triple murder and rape. Russell was convicted in 2022 of murdering Julie Williams, David Williams and Nicole McGregor across a week-long killing spree in 2020, and raping Ms McGregor, who was pregnant.
Before the attack, it was reported that Huntley wore a red football top with number 10 on the back, similar to the Manchester United tops worn by his victims at the time of their deaths. Inmates reportedly called him a 'sick b****d' for wearing it, to which he responded with a thumbs-up. A source told The Sun that Huntley's mother, Lynda Richards, said 'part of me hopes he dies' after visiting him in hospital and finding him 'unrecognisable'. She admitted she knows 'few will mourn his passing' but said she is 'still his mother'.
