Child murderer Ian Huntley was taken to the hospital today following an assault, marking another incident of violence against him while incarcerated. Huntley, 52, has encountered multiple attacks during his life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002. The latest assault left him in a serious condition after being targeted during a workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham.
In 2005, Huntley had boiling water thrown at him by fellow inmate Mark Hobson at HMP Wakefield. Hobson, convicted of multiple murders, was placed in solitary confinement for three months as a consequence of the scalding attack. The Prison Services acknowledged the difficulty in preventing such incidents from occurring.
Another incident occurred in 2010 when Huntley’s throat was slashed by armed robber Damien Fowkes at HMP Frankland. Fowkes inflicted a severe wound on Huntley’s neck, necessitating immediate medical attention. Fortunately, Huntley recovered, narrowly avoiding critical injury, and expressed relief that the attack missed any vital areas in his neck.
Fowkes, who harbored animosity towards child killers, received a lengthy prison sentence for the attempted murder of Huntley and the manslaughter of another inmate. Subsequently, in 2017, an unidentified prisoner allegedly attempted to slit Huntley’s throat using a razor blade attached to a toothbrush.
Durham Police revealed that a suspect in his mid-40s has been identified in connection with the recent assault on Huntley. The investigation is ongoing, and forensic teams have been examining the scene for evidence. The suspect, also an inmate, has not been arrested but remains in detention within the prison.
This series of attacks against Huntley underscores the challenges of ensuring safety and security within the prison system.
