Ian Huntley's mother reportedly 'could not recognise her own son' after the child killer was brutally attacked in prison, according to close friends. Huntley, 52, was found in a pool of blood at HMP Frankland in Durham on Thursday and is now in hospital with a 'serious condition'.
The prime suspect in the attack is believed to be triple killer Anthony Russell, although police and prison authorities have not confirmed his identity. The suspect allegedly shouted 'I've killed him' as prison staff led him away.
Huntley's mother, Lynda Richards, 71, drove 175 miles from her home in Lincolnshire to visit her son in hospital. A source told The Sun that Richards and a friend were escorted to the hospital wing by a Prison Service staff member, while Huntley remains under armed police guard.
The source added: 'He's been attacked on so many occasions and she now thinks it might be better if he didn't pull through. It's an extraordinarily difficult thing for her to come to terms with. Part of her just hopes he passes away this time. But he's still her son, regardless of what happened, and they have remained very close.'
Durham Constabulary issued an update on Saturday, stating: 'There has been no change in the 52-year-old man's condition overnight - he remains in hospital in a serious condition.' This is not the first time Huntley has been attacked in prison; in 2011, an inmate who slashed his throat was jailed for life.
Huntley is serving a life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2002. His girlfriend, Maxine Carr, was jailed for providing a false alibi.
