Ian Huntley was paranoid about being ‘poisoned’ by fellow inmates before he was attacked and left fighting for life in hospital, as the Soham killer remains in serious condition
Ian Huntley was paranoid about being ‘poisoned’ by fellow inmates before he was attacked and left fighting for life in hospital.
The Soham killer remained in a serious condition today after an inmate battered him around the head with a metal bar. He was left in a pool of blood in a workshop at HMP Frankland on Thursday morning.
Police and prison authorities have not confirmed the identity of the suspect, named as triple killer Anthony Russell. Huntley, who worked as a cleaner on A wing at Frankland, had given up prison food because he was so convinced his fellow inmates were “out to get him.”
He had been attacked before at Frankland, and HMP Wakefield, where he also attempted to take his own life in 2005.
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Instead, he bought fast food and confectionery from the shop, causing his weight to balloon.
“He has been living on a diet of things like cheesy Wotsits,” a source said. “He would not eat the prison food because he was convinced an inmate would poison him. So he bought snack food from the shop so he knew exactly what he was eating.”
Durham Police said there has been no change in the 52-year-old’s condition overnight. “He remains in hospital in a serious condition,” said their spokesperson.
Huntley is serving a life sentence for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002.
He dumped their bodies in a ditch and fell under suspicion after giving media interviews about the police investigation. He is serving a minimum 40-year term and has become an increasingly isolated figure behind bars.
“He does not look like the man we saw on TV all those years ago,” the source added. “He is much, much heavier, his weight has ballooned because of his diet.” Huntley, like many long term prisoners, had tried various ploys to improve his regime.
He worked as a cleaner on the wing so that staff could closely monitor him. He is held alongside others at risk of attack and kept apart from the rest of the prison population. But his attacker struck “when it was least expected”, according to insiders.
“Huntley’s wing is like a prison within a prison,” they added. “Some inmates there convert to Islam because the food is meant to be better. They also think the regime allows more time out of the cell to pray. They say the food is like having a takeaway.”
Huntley was attacked with a ‘heavy metal bar’ just after 9am on Thursday. He was battered so violently around the head that there were fears for his life. He has been attacked three times while behind bars and has twice attempted suicide.
“He knew that he was a target,” added a source. “That is why he was so paranoid about his food.” The bodies of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were found two weeks after they disappeared in August 2002.
Huntley was convicted in December 2003 following a trial at the Old Bailey. His girlfriend Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls’ primary school, was also jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
She was freed from jail and given a new identity in May 2004. After his arrest, it emerged Huntley had been able to work with children despite facing rape and sexual assault complaints.
He had been the subject of a series of allegations made to police in Humberside, where he previously worked. A subsequent inquiry led to criminal checks on anyone working with children.
Huntley was scalded with boiling water at HMP Wakefield in 2005. He was moved to Frankland, where robber Damien Fowkes slashed him in 2010. The wound was 7in (18cm) long and required 21 stitches. Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”
