Ian Huntley remains in hospital after serious head trauma from prison attack
ian huntley, the man serving a life sentence for the murders of two schoolgirls, remains in hospital after a violent assault inside a prison workshop that has left him with significant head trauma and undergoing treatment. The attack, and fresh reporting on how it unfolded, has prompted a police inquiry and renewed public attention to the original crimes two decades ago.
Ian Huntley wounded at HMP Frankland workshop
Huntley was attacked in a prison workshop at HMP Frankland, the high-security jail in County Durham, and was found lying in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon. He has suffered significant head trauma and is receiving treatment in hospital; an update on Friday said there had been "no change in the 52-year-old man's condition overnight - he remains in hospital in a serious condition. " Huntley is serving a life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002.
Anthony Russell, 43, suspected and "in detention", Durham Constabulary says
Triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of carrying out the attack using a makeshift weapon. Durham Constabulary said a male prisoner in his mid-40s suspected of carrying out the attack was "in detention" but had not been arrested "at this stage". The force confirmed a police investigation is under way and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.
Front pages and a prisoner's shouted claim: "I've done it! I've done it!"
Early editions of Friday's papers came out before the result of the Gorton and Denton by-election, and many front pages focused on the prison assault on Huntley. A prisoner is reported to have shouted "I've done it! I've done it!" and the attacker is alleged to have struck Huntley with a metal pole. One account said the attacker "got him when he least expected it" and another said Huntley was "close to death. "
Huntley's history of prison assaults and the reputation of HMP Frankland
This is not the first time Huntley has been attacked behind bars. He was slashed across the throat in 2010 and needed 21 stitches, and in 2005 a convicted murderer threw boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield. HMP Frankland is nicknamed "monster mansion" because of its extreme levels of violence and houses some of the most dangerous criminals, including murderers and rapists.
The 2002 murders, the investigation and lasting public memory
The killings of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman prompted a nationwide search. A photograph of the girls in red Manchester United football kits, taken by Holly's mum Nicola just an hour-and-a-half before they were last seen, became indelible for many who remember the case. Four hundred officers worked full-time on the inquiry and hundreds more volunteers joined the search; nearly a fortnight after their disappearance the girls' bodies were found in a ditch in Suffolk. Huntley was arrested on the same day, convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 40 years; the judge said, "in your lies and manipulation up to this very day, you have increased the suffering you have caused the two families. " His girlfriend, Maxine Carr, was jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice for giving him a false alibi and has since been released.
Investigation continues as Huntley remains in serious condition
Police and prison officials are continuing inquiries into the circumstances of the attack at HMP Frankland while medical teams treat Huntley for his head wounds. As the 52-year-old remains in hospital in serious condition, the assault has revived public focus on both the prison's safety record and the original case that resulted in Huntley's life sentence.
