Anthony Russell — Soham murderer Ian Huntley seriously injured in prison attack anthony russell
The Soham double murderer Ian Huntley is being treated for serious head injuries after an assault at HMP Frankland, and the mention of anthony russell is unclear in the provided context. Prison and police statements say the prisoner was taken to hospital on Thursday morning after suffering serious injuries.
Attack at HMP Frankland and Anthony Russell
A prisoner understood to be Ian Huntley, the 52-year-old serving a life sentence for murdering schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002, was taken to hospital after being assaulted at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday morning. It is thought Huntley was knocked unconscious with a metal pole; a newspaper report said the paper his condition was "touch and go".
Scene and suspected attacker
Prison officials confirmed a prisoner was taken from HMP Frankland, a high-security facility in County Durham, to hospital on Thursday morning. 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".
Medical response and transport
An air ambulance was dispatched to HMP Frankland, but emergency service statements say the injured inmate was taken to hospital by road. A North East ambulance service spokesperson said: "We received a call at 9. 23am on Thursday 26 February 2026 to reports of an incident at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham. We dispatched two ambulance crews to the scene and requested support from the Great North air ambulance service. One patient was transported to hospital by road. " A Prison Service spokesperson said: "A prisoner is receiving treatment after an incident at HMP Frankland on Thursday morning. It would be inappropriate to comment further while police investigate. "
Police quotes and investigation
A Durham police spokesman said: "Police were alerted to an assault which had taken place within HMP Frankland in Durham this morning. " He added: "A male prisoner suffered serious injuries during the incident and was transported to hospital. " Durham Constabulary confirmed a police investigation is under way and that detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.
Victims and trial background
Huntley was convicted of killing two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on 4 August 2002. The deaths in the quiet Cambridgeshire town on 4 August 2002 shocked the country. Huntley, originally from Grimsby, enticed both schoolgirls into his home and murdered them, before dumping their bodies in a ditch some 12 miles away. Two weeks after they disappeared, Holly and Jessica's bodies were found in a ditch near an air base in Lakenheath, Suffolk.
Evidence, admissions and conviction
Huntley, who was a caretaker at Soham Village College, was arrested and charged with their murders. During his trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Richard Latham QC described Huntley as "ruthless" and said Huntley's account of both deaths were "desperate lies". In his evidence Huntley claimed Holly died accidentally after falling into his bath when he was helping her with a nosebleed. However, he admitted he had killed Jessica by putting his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming and that he had told lies to police to cover his tracks. Huntley also admitted dumping the girls' bodies in the ditch and trying to burn them. He was convicted on 17 December 2003 following a trial at the Old Bailey.
Investigation scale and related figures
Holly and Jessica were missing for 13 days during a search that became one of the most intensive in British criminal history. A total of 400 police officers were assigned full-time to the case, with investigators questioning every registered sex offender in Cambridgeshire and neighbouring Lincolnshire. Initially, Huntley was given an alibi by his then partner, Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant the girls knew, but this broke down under police questioning. Officers later found at his workplace charred pieces of the Manchester United shirts the girls had been wearing when they disappeared and other evidence connecting him to the crime. Carr served half of a 42-month sentence for perverting the course of justice.
HMP Frankland profile and past violence
HMP Frankland is a category A prison, meaning it has the highest level of security, and houses a number of high-profile inmates, including Michael Adebolajo, one of the two men convicted of murdering Lee Rigby; the serial killer Levi Bellfield; and Wayne Couzens, the murderer of Sarah Everard. Violent attacks at the prison are not uncommon. In April last year, three prison officers were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries including burns and stab wounds after being allegedly attacked with hot cooking oil and homemade weapons by an inmate, Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi.
The mention of anthony russell remains unclear in the provided context; investigators and prison staff continue to be involved in inquiries into the circumstances of the assault on Huntley.
