Anthony Russell Suspected in Brutal Prison Attack That Left Soham Killer Ian Huntley in Serious Condition
Triple killer anthony russell, 43, is suspected of attacking Ian Huntley inside HMP Frankland, leaving the 52-year-old Soham murderer in hospital with significant head trauma. The incident has prompted a police investigation and renewed attention to Huntley’s history of being targeted in custody.
Anthony Russell: triple killer, 43, serving a whole-life term
Anthony Russell, aged 43, is identified in the context as the suspected assailant. He is serving a whole-life prison term for the murders of Julie Williams, her son David Williams and Nicole McGregor; McGregor’s body was found in woodland near Leamington Spa. The context states Russell admitted those murders during a week-long spree in October 2020.
Huntley’s injuries and hospital update
Ian Huntley, 52, has suffered significant head trauma and is undergoing treatment in hospital. Durham Constabulary said there had been no change in the 52-year-old man’s condition overnight and that he remains in hospital in a serious condition. The prisoner was found in a pool of blood and taken to hospital following the assault.
What happened at HMP Frankland
The attack took place at HMP Frankland, a high-security prison in County Durham. Huntley was found lying in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon at a prison workshop. Initial statements described the assailant as an inmate in his mid-40s who remains in detention within the prison and had not been arrested at this stage. A police investigation is under way and detectives are liaising with prison staff.
Previous attacks on Huntley in custody
This is not the first time Huntley has been targeted while in custody. The context notes a 2010 incident in which he was slashed across the throat and needed 21 stitches. Another earlier attack took place in 2005 when a convicted murderer threw boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield. In a later case, an inmate who slashed Huntley’s throat with a makeshift knife was jailed for life; that assailant, named Damien Fowkes in the context, was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley in March 2010 and for the manslaughter of Colin Hatch. Court material in the context described a seven-inch wound to Huntley’s neck in that episode and noted it was only good fortune that the weapon missed anything vital.
HMP Frankland’s profile and inmate dynamics
HMP Frankland is described in the context as a prison nicknamed "Monster Mansion" that houses some of the most dangerous criminals, including murderers and rapists. The context also notes that prisoners convicted of child sex crimes are frequently targets for other inmates; vulnerable prisoners are often held on Rule 43 in units for sex offenders and police informants. The violent dynamics inside such units and the long-standing threats against Huntley are highlighted by the repeated attacks he has endured.
Background: the Soham murders remembered
Huntley is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of two ten-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002. The context records that the girls had been at a family barbeque and were believed to have been on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them back to his home and killed them. The image of the girls in red Manchester United football kits is described in the context as etched in the memories of many who recall their disappearance and murder.
Details that remain unclear in the provided context include the precise timeline of law-enforcement actions inside the prison following the assault and any formal charging decisions. The investigation into the attack continues, and the context makes clear that detectives are working with prison staff as the 52-year-old remains in a serious condition.
