Convicted child killer Ian Huntley placed himself at heightened risk of assault within the prison system after gaining significant weight behind bars, necessitating a specialised diet and exercise programme that increased his visibility to other inmates.
Prison Regime Changes Increased Exposure
A source revealed to the Daily Mail that last year, Huntley's substantial weight gain prompted prison authorities to implement an individually tailored physical training regime. This required him to leave his cell more frequently for gymnasium workouts and visits to the healthcare block, thereby drawing unwanted attention within the prison environment.
The source explained: '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 which involved him having PT sessions to try to slim him down to a healthier size. More movement around the prison estate means more people notice you and in Huntley's case that's bad news.'
Brutal Attack Leaves Huntley on Life Support
This revelation comes following a violent assault on Huntley in a workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday morning. The attack has left the notorious inmate in a medically induced coma on life support, reliant on a ventilator to breathe after undergoing emergency surgery.
During the ambush, Huntley was reportedly beaten around the head three times with a metal spike. Durham Constabulary has confirmed that a prisoner in his mid-40s has been identified as a suspect in the attack, though no arrest has been made. While police have not officially named the attacker, it is understood to be 43-year-old Anthony Russell, who is also serving a whole life term.
Attacker's Violent History
Anthony Russell was convicted in 2022 of a horrific triple murder and rape spree across a week in 2020. His victims included:
- David Williams, 32, who was strangled with a lanyard and found dead under a bed at his Coventry flat
- Julie Williams, 58, Russell's mother, who was murdered to prevent her from going to police and sustained 113 injuries
- Nicole McGregor, who was pregnant when Russell raped and strangled her after luring her into woodland in Leamington Spa
Russell was eventually apprehended by police in the back of a stolen car in Staffordshire after going on the run.
Provocative Behaviour Before Attack
Prior to the assault, reports emerged that Huntley had been wearing a red football top with the number 10 on the back while being moved around HMP Frankland. This was widely interpreted as a deliberate taunt referencing his victims, 10-year-old Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who were both wearing red Manchester United tops when Huntley murdered them in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002.
Inmates reportedly called Huntley a 'sick b****d' for wearing the football top, to which he allegedly responded with a thumbs-up gesture.
Mother's Heartbreaking Confession
Huntley's mother, 71-year-old Lynda Richards, made a secret 175-mile journey from her Lincolnshire home to visit her son in hospital, escorted by a Prison Service liaison officer and a friend. After finding him 'unrecognisable' following the attack, she confessed to friends that 'part of me hopes he dies.'
A source told The Sun that Ms Richards admitted she 'just wants to be free of it' and knows 'few will mourn his passing' if he dies, but added that she remains 'still his mother.'
Original Crimes and Conviction
Ian Huntley, originally from Grimsby, enticed schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman into his home before murdering them and dumping their bodies in a ditch approximately 12 miles away. Suspicion fell on Huntley after he gave detailed media interviews about the missing girls.
Two weeks after their disappearance, the bodies of Holly and Jessica were discovered in a ditch near an air base in Lakenheath, Suffolk. Huntley, who worked as a caretaker at Soham Village College, was arrested and charged with their murders.
During his trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Richard Latham QC described Huntley as 'ruthless' and stated that his account of both deaths consisted of 'desperate lies.' Huntley was jailed for at least 40 years in 2003 and is serving two life terms at HMP Frankland, the high-security facility at Brasside on the edge of Durham, known among inmates as Monster Mansion.
