Ian Huntley Seriously Injured in Prison Workshop Assault at HMP Frankland
Ian Huntley, the notorious Soham double murderer, has been left with serious injuries following a violent assault at HMP Frankland, the maximum security facility known as 'Monster Mansion'. The attack occurred earlier this morning in the prison workshop, just before 9.30am, prompting an emergency response.
Emergency Response and Police Investigation
An air ambulance was initially dispatched to the scene in County Durham, but Huntley, 52, was ultimately transported to hospital by road. Durham Constabulary has launched a full investigation into the incident at the prison, which houses over 800 inmates, including some of the UK's most violent and dangerous offenders.
Huntley is serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. His attack comes amid a week of violent headlines from Frankland, following a court hearing regarding another inmate's brutal hammer assault.
Notorious Inmates of 'Monster Mansion'
HMP Frankland has operated for more than 40 years and has earned its 'Monster Mansion' nickname by housing numerous high-profile criminals:
- Michael Adebolajo – Convicted of murdering British soldier Lee Rigby in 2013
- Charles Bronson – Known as 'Britain's most violent prisoner'
- Hashem Abedi – Aided the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people
- Peter Sutcliffe – The 'Yorkshire Ripper' serial killer who died at Frankland in 2020
- Colin Pitchfork – Child murderer and rapist whose prison artwork caused public outrage
- Thomas Mair – Murderer of MP Jo Cox, held in segregation for his own protection
- Daniel Khalife – Former British Army soldier convicted of spying for Iran
- Levi Bellfield – Serial killer and the first UK prisoner to receive two whole life orders
Recent Violence at the Maximum Security Facility
The prison also contains a specialist 'prison within a prison' for extremist inmates with terrorism or national security convictions. This week's court hearing revealed that Damien Bendall, 36, who is already serving a whole-life sentence for murdering his pregnant partner and three children, struck fellow inmate Michael Mullaney four times during a brutal hammer attack in 2024.
Bendall was further jailed for this May attack on Monday, with the weapon described at Teesside Crown Court as similar to one he used in his 2021 family killings in Killamarsh, Derbyshire. When asked why he attempted to murder Mullaney, with whom he occasionally played dominoes, Bendall simply stated: "I don't know."
Frankland's history of housing dangerous criminals continues to make headlines, with the Prison Officers' Association reporting in 2025 that Hashem Abedi attacked three guards with hot cooking oil. The facility remains one of Britain's most secure prisons, designed to contain those deemed too dangerous for the general prison population.
