Anthony Russell suspected in prison attack that left Ian Huntley with serious head injuries
anthony russell, 43, is suspected of attacking Ian Huntley at HMP Frankland, leaving the 52-year-old with significant head trauma and in a serious condition as he receives treatment in hospital.
Anthony Russell suspected in workshop bludgeoning at HMP Frankland
Prison staff found Huntley lying in a pool of blood after he was bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon at a prison workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday. The 52-year-old was taken to hospital and is undergoing treatment for significant head injuries.
Police: no change overnight as investigation continues
In an update on Friday, Durham Constabulary said there had been "no change in the 52-year-old man's condition overnight - he remains in hospital in a serious condition". The force said a police investigation is under way and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.
Police earlier 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 inmate suspected of the assault is named in prison records as triple killer anthony russell, who is 43.
Russell's convictions and the alleged motive
Anthony Russell is serving a whole-life term for the murders of Julie Williams, her son David Williams and Nicole McGregor, whose body was found in woodland near Leamington Spa. He admitted those killings during a week-long spree in October 2020. Russell's status as a convicted multiple killer places him among inmates considered especially dangerous.
Huntley's past attacks inside and outside HMP Frankland
This is not the first time Huntley has been assaulted 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 the manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch. Court documents said Fowkes inflicted a wound seven inches long and that 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, nicknamed "Monster Mansion, " houses some of the most dangerous criminals including murderers and rapists.
The Soham murders and public memory
Huntley is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002. In the commuter town of Soham in Cambridgeshire, the girls had been at a family barbeque 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.
Prison safety and the vulnerable-inmate regime
Huntley would have been held on Rule 43 in the unit for vulnerable inmates, which contains mostly sex offenders and police informants. Officials note that prisoners convicted of child sex offences are frequently targeted by other inmates, and from his first day inside Huntley carried a figurative price: a promise of "respect" for anyone who attacked him.
Police continue to investigate the Thursday assault at HMP Frankland. Durham Constabulary has said detectives remain in contact with prison staff as inquiries proceed, and the suspected attacker remains in detention within the prison while no arrest has been made "at this stage".
