Ian Huntley: UK Police give major update on child killer after jail attack left his head ‘split in two’

A week after inmates cheered while double child murderer Ian Huntley was brutally attacked, police have issued an update on his condition.

Eloise Budimlich
The Nightly
Double child murderer Ian Huntley is fighting for life after a horrific prison attack
Double child murderer Ian Huntley is fighting for life after a horrific prison attack Credit: The Nightly

Police have given a major update on the condition of child killer Ian Huntley after a violent prison attack left his head “split in two”.

The 52-year-old double child murderer was left fighting for life after he was ambushed and hit at least six times in the head by a pole with a spike attached to it.

He was found unconscious and lying in a pool of blood in the UK prison HMP Frankland’s recycling workshop on February 26, before he was rushed to hospital.

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A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said on Wednesday that Huntley remains in hospital and his “serious condition” has not changed.

A source told The Mirror that because Huntley’s injuries are so severe, it is unlikely he will return to Frankland.

“The most likely destination for him if he gets out of hospital is Ashworth,” they said. “His injuries are such that he is unlikely to Frankland, at least initially.”

Frankland is a maximum-security prison located on the outskirts of Durham, known for housing some of the UK’s most dangerous criminals, whereas Ashworth is a high-security psychiatric hospital.

Huntley was serving a 40-year minimum jail term for the brutal murder of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002.

He lured the girls to his home, murdered them and then dumped their bodies in a ditch nearly 20 kilometres away.

An artist's drawing of Ian Huntley, center, in the dock at the  magistrates Court in Peterborough England Tuesday Sept. 10, 2002, where he appeared for the first time, charged with the murders of Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. (AP Photo/PA, Elizabeth Cook)  **  UNITED KINGDOM OUT MAGAZINES OUT NO SALES TV OUT INTERNET OUT  **
An artist's drawing of Ian Huntley, center, in the dock at the magistrates Court in Peterborough England Tuesday Sept. 10, 2002, where he appeared for the first time, charged with the murders of Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. (AP Photo/PA, Elizabeth Cook) ** UNITED KINGDOM OUT MAGAZINES OUT NO SALES TV OUT INTERNET OUT ** Credit: ELIZABETH COOK/AP

Triple murderer Anthony Russell has been named as the main suspect in Huntley’s attack.

It is understood that a doctor and paramedic flew to Frankland and stabilised the 52-year-old, who was unable to travel to the hospital by air because of the extent of his injuries.

“He was placed in an induced coma because he was so close to death,” another source said.

“The team from the helicopter travelled with him but he could not be evacuated by air in case of any complications.

“He was transported by road because he was in a coma; this helps to keep him stable. The helicopter then travels to the hospital to collect the medics. Two armed officers are guarding Huntley around the clock at the hospital.”

It is unclear if Huntley still remains in a coma and what the prospects are for his recovery.

According to the NHS, Ashworth provides “assessment and treatment for men with a serious mental illness or personality disorder who are detained under the Mental Health Act and are assessed as presenting a grave risk to others”.

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