Ian Huntley, the 52-year-old Soham murderer currently serving a life sentence, suffered serious head injuries after being attacked by a fellow inmate during a prison workshop.
Huntley, known as the Soham murderer for killing two schoolgirls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002, was taken to hospital for treatment on Thursday morning.
According to Durham Police, the suspect, aged in his 40s, behind the attack was in custody and had not been formally arrested at this stage.
According to The Sun, Huntley was attacked by a metal pole and, due to the severity of his injuries, an air ambulance was sent to HMP Frankland, a high security prison in County Durham. However, the patient was transported to hospital by road.
A Durham Police spokesperson said: “Police were alerted to an assault which took place this morning at HMP Frankland in Durham. A prisoner was seriously injured during the incident and was taken to hospital.”
This is not the first time Huntley has been attacked since he was officially convicted and sent to prison on December 17, 2003.
He had been attacked twice while serving his life sentence:
- In September 2005 he was scalded with boiling water at HMP Wakefield.
- Huntley was transferred to HMP Frankland in 2008 and in March 2010 he was attacked and cut in the throat by a fellow inmate.
What were the Soham murders?
The Soham murders were a double child murder in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England, on 4 August 2002, carried out by Huntley. He lured the two girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, to his house and killed them before dumping their bodies in a ditch near an air force base in Lakenheath, Suffolk.
During the investigation, he admitted trying to burn the girls’ bodies and lying to police to cover his tracks.
Huntley was sentenced to life in prison and a minimum term of 40 years before being released.
