Convicted double child murderer Ian Huntley was brutally assaulted from behind while bent over in a prison workshop, sustaining up to fifteen blows from a metal pole that left him with catastrophic injuries and fighting for his life in hospital. The 52-year-old, serving two life sentences for the 2002 murders of Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged ten, was attacked just after 9am on Thursday morning at HMP Frankland in County Durham.
Chaotic and Savage Assault in Recycling Workshop
According to prison sources, the attack was described as "unbelievably savage" and "chaotic." Huntley was reportedly bending down to tie string onto a recycling crate in a workshop, putting him in a vulnerable position akin to tying shoelaces, when his assailant struck him repeatedly from behind with a three-foot metal pole. Witnesses estimate he was battered around fifteen times during the violent incident.
Critical Condition and Grim Prognosis
Huntley was rushed to hospital following the assault and remains in a critical condition, placed in an induced coma and hooked up to a ventilator. Medical professionals initially gave him just a five percent chance of survival due to the severity of his injuries, which include a broken jaw, skull fractures, and significant brain trauma. His mother, Lynda, who visited him in hospital, told friends he was "unrecognisable" because of the damage inflicted.
Suspect Identified as Triple Killer Anthony Russell
The main suspect in the attack has been identified as fellow inmate Anthony Russell, a convicted triple killer, though Durham Constabulary have not officially confirmed this. Sources indicate that Russell was handcuffed and led away towards the prison chapel after the assault, allegedly smirking. He has reportedly admitted to the attack in interviews, expressing pride in his actions but also stating he is "gutted" that Huntley survived, as he believed he had killed him.
Inmates Allegedly Aware and Unresponsive
A source revealed that other prisoners were allegedly aware an attack was impending but did nothing to intervene. "None of the prisoners there helped," the source said. "They just watched it happen and it was staff who stepped in - but not before the attacker had inflicted some really severe damage. Everyone thought Huntley was dead and inmates and staff are absolutely stunned he is still alive."
Long-Term Segregation for Suspect Expected
A prison source told The Mirror that the suspect, likely Anthony Russell, is expected to be segregated from other inmates for several years following the serious assault. "Because it's a serious assault, he'll be moved to the segregation unit," the source explained. "He’ll probably just be held there for the foreseeable, certainly, because you can't go around either trying to kill another prisoner or killing other prisoners, so he'll probably be in a segregation unit for the next five, ten years, maybe."
Huntley's Notorious Crimes and Sentence
Ian Huntley has been serving a life sentence with a minimum term of forty years for the brutal murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002. The ten-year-old girls disappeared after leaving a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire, to buy sweets. Huntley later left their bodies in a ditch and attempted to evade suspicion by giving media interviews about the police investigation, hiding in plain sight before his eventual conviction.
Durham Constabulary confirmed that Huntley continues to receive treatment in hospital, with a spokesperson stating, "He remains in hospital in a serious condition." The attack has sent shockwaves through HMP Frankland, a high-security prison known for housing some of Britain's most dangerous criminals, highlighting ongoing concerns about violence and safety within the prison system.
