Xbox Game Arrives at Prison After Ian Huntley's Death
Murdered child killer Ian Huntley purchased an Xbox video game called Dark Souls: Prepare to Die, which was delivered to HMP Frankland three days after his death. Huntley, aged 52, died in hospital from injuries sustained when he was attacked with a metal pole in a prison workshop on February 26.
Timeline of Events and Prison Conditions
The Xbox game arrived on Tuesday, following a decision to turn off his life support. Huntley had his gaming console confiscated in January after prison officers discovered contraband in his cell. However, it is understood he was allowed to have it again for good behaviour in the weeks leading up to his death.
The former school caretaker, who murdered 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2002, was bludgeoned at HMP Frankland in County Durham. He was placed in an induced coma at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and died last Saturday at around 8.45am after doctors, who consulted his 71-year-old mother Lynda Richards, switched off his ventilator.
Inmate Reactions and Legal Proceedings
Fellow HMP Frankland inmate and triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, is accused of murder. A source told The Sun that inmates were cracking sick jokes and commenting on the irony when Huntley's video game arrived, with some even asking if they could have it. However, strict rules govern prisoners' property upon death.
The game Huntley ordered is a 2012 re-release where players control a cursed undead character escaping an asylum, battling enemies and collecting souls. This week, more than 40,000 people signed a petition demanding no public money be spent on Huntley's funeral.
Details of the Attack and Previous Incidents
A source previously told the Daily Mail that a fight broke out between Huntley and a fellow inmate, who then used a metal bar from waste crates to smash Huntley three times in the head. Huntley suffered catastrophic skull injuries and was feared dead at the scene but was placed in a medically induced coma by paramedics.
This was the third and final time Huntley was attacked in jail. In 2010, his throat was slashed with a homemade weapon by armed robber Damien Fowkes, requiring 21 stitches. In 2005, fellow murderer Mark Hobson threw boiling water over him in Wakefield Prison.
Background on the Murders and Conviction
Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10, were lured into Huntley's home on August 4, 2002, after going out to buy sweets. Huntley murdered them and dumped their bodies in a ditch, later attempting to set them on fire. Their disappearance shocked the nation and led to one of the most extensive police searches in UK history.
Huntley was convicted in 2003 of both murders, having pleaded not guilty, and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years. His then-fiancée Maxine Carr was jailed for three-and-a-half years for providing a false alibi.
Prison Environment and Security Measures
HMP Frankland, dubbed 'Monster Mansion', houses some of Britain's worst criminals, including murderers, rapists, and terrorists. The Category A prison is home to offenders like Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens and Michael Adebolajo, one of Lee Rigby's murderers.
A prison source explained that Wing A consists of inmates at risk of attack, such as sex offenders or jailed police officers, who are kept segregated and moved as a group for protection. Huntley's hospital security was downgraded five days before his death when doctors realised he would not survive his coma.
