Ian Huntley Hospitalised After Latest Prison Attack
Soham murderer Ian Huntley, aged 52, was rushed to hospital this morning with serious head injuries following an assault at HMP Frankland in County Durham. The attack occurred around 9am during a workshop session, leaving the notorious child killer in a serious condition. This incident represents just the latest chapter in Huntley's turbulent two decades behind bars, where he has faced multiple violent assaults from fellow inmates.
A History of Targeted Violence
Huntley, who was convicted in 2003 for the horrific murders of ten-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002, has endured at least three previous documented attacks while serving his life sentence. The brutality he has experienced reflects the dangerous environment within high-security prisons and the particular targeting of child killers by other inmates.
The Boiling Water Torture Incident
In 2005, while incarcerated at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire, Huntley suffered a particularly vicious attack when fellow killer Mark Hobson threw boiling water over him. Hobson, who was serving time for murdering his girlfriend, her twin sister, and an elderly couple, was placed in solitary confinement for three months following the scalding assault. At the time, Prison Services officials acknowledged the difficulty of preventing such incidents, stating it was "impossible to prevent incidents of this nature occasionally happening."
Throat Slashing With Makeshift Weapon
The violence escalated dramatically in 2010 when armed robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley's throat with a makeshift knife at HMP Frankland. Huntley, who had been working on the healthcare wing at the time, sustained a seven-inch wound to his neck and required hospital treatment for life-threatening injuries. Remarkably, the weapon missed vital arteries by mere millimeters, with Huntley later stating: "It was 2mm away from my jugular. The only thing I could think of was get a message to my family to say I was OK."
Prosecutor Graham Reeds told Hull Crown Court that Fowkes had asked a prison officer if Huntley had died before adding "I hope so." The armed robber had "since expressed a particular hatred for child killers" and was subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley and the manslaughter of another child killer, Colin Hatch.
Razor Blade Attack Attempt
Another violent incident occurred in May 2017 when an inmate allegedly attempted to slit Huntley's throat with a razor blade attached to a toothbrush. In a recording leaked to The Sun newspaper, Huntley described how the attacker "came in with a razor blade on a toothbrush" and entered his cell armed with the weapon. Huntley claimed he managed to defend himself by kicking the assailant in the chest and stomach before disarming him. Official details of this apparent attack were never made public by authorities.
Current Investigation Underway
Durham Police have confirmed that a prisoner in his mid-40s has been identified as a suspect in today's attack on Huntley. A spokesman for Durham Constabulary stated: "The 52-year-old prisoner who was injured during this morning's assault in the workshop at HMP Frankland remains in a serious condition in hospital following treatment for head injuries. Police forensic teams have examined the scene of the attack throughout the day to gather evidence. A suspect, a male prisoner in his mid-40s, has been identified by officers investigating the incident. He has not been arrested at this stage but remains in detention within the prison."
The ongoing investigation highlights the continuing dangers faced by high-profile prisoners within the British penal system, particularly those convicted of crimes against children. Huntley's case demonstrates how inmate-on-inmate violence remains a persistent challenge for prison authorities despite security measures and monitoring systems.
