Ian Huntley's daughter has broken her silence following the Soham killer's brutal assault in prison. Samantha Bryan, 27, revealed she was 'glad' to find out the former school caretaker had been left fighting for his life after being struck across the head with a metal pole.
Huntley, 52, is receiving hospital treatment following the attack and was given a five per cent chance of survival. He remains in a critical condition. Samantha likened Huntley, who murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10, in 2002, to the Yorkshire Ripper and Fred and Rose West.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Samantha said: 'I started crying because I thought he was dead - it was an overwhelming sense of relief. Being his daughter has been a heavy burden. It felt like I could breathe again. I felt if he died, that burden died with him.'
Samantha discovered she was Huntley's daughter whilst participating in a school crime project aged just 14. Her mother revealed she had been in a relationship with Huntley from the age of 15, falling pregnant at 16 before escaping his violent behaviour.
The prime suspect in this latest attack is Anthony Russell, who reportedly declared 'I've killed him' as officers led him away in handcuffs after Huntley was found lying in a pool of blood. Russell, 43, was charged with the murders of Julie Williams and her son David, along with the rape and murder of Nicole McGregor, during a week-long rampage in 2020. He was handed a whole-life sentence in 2022.
