Ian Huntley, the convicted murderer of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, spent his final days in a medically induced coma after a brutal prison attack, with reports suggesting he was effectively 'trapped in a terrifying dream'. The 47-year-old was attacked at HMP Frankland in County Durham on October 16, allegedly bludgeoned 15 times with a spiked metal pole while bending over in a prison workshop.
Sources described the assault as 'unbelievably savage', leaving Huntley with brain injuries, skull fractures, and a broken jaw. He was initially given just a five percent chance of survival and placed in an induced coma. One source told The Mirror: 'He was placed in an induced coma because he was so close to death.' Another source said: 'When it first happened, he was totally unresponsive and could not breathe.'
Huntley's mother, Lynda, made a secret visit to his bedside but reportedly did not recognise him due to the extent of his injuries. A source told The Sun: 'She's understandably torn by what has happened but it was a harrowing experience for her. Part of her just hopes he passes away this time.' On Friday night, it was reported that medics withdrew the ventilator keeping him alive after brain tests showed he was in a vegetative state and blind.
While an induced coma might sound peaceful, those who have experienced it describe it as terrifying. British TV presenter Richard Bacon, who spent 11 nights in an induced coma in 2018, revealed he could hear and recognise what was happening around him, suffering from paralysis and hallucinations. The attack on Huntley has been described by one visitor as 'ripped apart like a rat', with another source saying: 'This is it, this is the end of Huntley. He is effectively dead.'
