Anthony Russell suspected in prison attack that left Ian Huntley with serious head trauma
Triple killer anthony russell, 43, is suspected of attacking Soham murderer Ian Huntley, who remains in hospital after suffering significant head trauma. The assault at HMP Frankland has prompted a police investigation and renewed attention to Huntley’s past attacks and the risks faced by high‑profile inmates.
Anthony Russell accused of assault at HMP Frankland workshop
Prison officers found Ian Huntley lying in a pool of blood in a workshop at HMP Frankland, the high‑security jail in County Durham, after he was reportedly bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon. The suspected attacker is triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, who is believed to have carried out the assault that left Huntley with significant head trauma and receiving hospital treatment.
Huntley taken to hospital and remains in a serious condition
Huntley, 52, was taken to hospital after the incident on Thursday and is undergoing treatment for his injuries. Durham Constabulary said there had been no change in the 52‑year‑old man's condition overnight and quoted the force saying, "He remains in hospital in a serious condition. " The injuries are described as significant head trauma.
Suspect detained within the prison as police open investigation
Police earlier said a male prisoner in his mid‑40s was being investigated and remained in detention within the prison but had not been arrested at this stage. A formal police investigation is under way and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison, the force confirmed in an update on Friday.
anthony russell's convictions and the October 2020 spree
anthony russell is serving a whole‑life prison term after admitting the murders of Julie Williams, her son David Williams and Nicole McGregor. Nicole McGregor's body was found in woodland near Leamington Spa. Russell admitted those killings during a week‑long spree in October 2020.
Huntley's sentence, the Soham murders and his history of attacks
Ian Huntley is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002. The victims were ten years old; they had been at a family barbecue and are believed to have been on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then 28, lured them back to his home and killed them. The photograph of the girls in their red Manchester United football kits remains widely remembered.
This is not the first time Huntley has been attacked in custody. He was slashed across the throat in 2010 and required 21 stitches. An inmate who carried out that attack was later jailed for life. Damien Fowkes was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley in March 2010 and for the manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch; Fowkes inflicted a wound seven inches long on Huntley's neck and the court was told it was only "good fortune" the weapon missed anything vital. Huntley was also attacked in 2005 when a convicted murderer threw boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield.
HMP Frankland, inmate danger and the prison's reputation
HMP Frankland, nicknamed "Monster Mansion, " houses some of the most dangerous criminals, including murderers and rapists. Any prisoner convicted of a child sex crime is frequently a target for other inmates, and commentators have noted there has long been a price on Huntley's head — not monetary, but the promise of "respect" for anyone who attacked him. In that violent environment, Huntley would have been on Rule 43 and held in the prison unit for vulnerable inmates, mostly sex offenders and police informants.
