Ian Huntley's daughter breaks silence as he's left ‘fighting for life’ after prison attack

Warning: This story contains violent and disturbing content which some readers may find distressing.

The daughter of Soham murderer Ian Huntley has spoken out following his violent assault in prison.

Samantha Bryan, 27, has shared some damning words about her father, as news emerged he has been brutally attacked with a 'spiked metal pole'.

Bryan says she is 'glad' to hear of the assault which took place in HMP Frankland, in County Durham, where the former caretaker, 52, is serving a life sentence.

He was jailed for the horrific murder of two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in 2002, and has been assaulted behind bars on several occasions previously.

Bryan is Huntley's only child, after her mother, Katie Bryan, had been dating him from the age of 15, becoming pregnant at 16, when Huntley was 23.

The murderer has been attacked for the third time in prison (Toby Melville/PA)

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, his daughter revealed the burden being related to him has had on her life, and spoke of the 'relief' she felt when she thought he had died following the latest attack.

"I started crying because I thought he was dead — it was an overwhelming sense of relief, being his daughter has been a heavy burden," she explained.

"It felt like I could breathe again. I felt if he died, that burden died with him.”

She didn't hold back about her anger towards her father, saying "There’s a special place in hell waiting for him," following the horrendous murder of the two youngsters.

Bryan revealed her mum had phoned her to tell her the news of the attack, saying she became 'very emotional' and had hoped whoever had carried out the assault was successful.

Her mum Katie, 45, echoed her daughter's sentiments, and said: "I think he got what he deserves. I hope he burns in hell, I’d like to shake the hand of the man who did it.”

Shockingly, Bryan only discovered she was Huntley's daughter when she was 14, after seeing a pixelated photo which featured her and her mum while she was researching for a school project about the killings.

Huntley is serving life in prison for the 2002 murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman (Getty Images)

Huntley is currently still in hospital 'fighting for his life' following the latest incident, after suffering 'head injuries' and was found lying in a pool of blood after he was reportedly struck repeatedly with a metal pole.

Reports from the prison claim the alleged attacker celebrated, shouting they'd 'done it' as other inmates cheered.

The Daily Mail reports the attacker yelled “I’ve done it, I’ve done it. I’ve killed him, I’ve killed him," before being led away in handcuffs, leaving Huntley 'ripped apart like a rat'.

A source said “Huntley was working in waste management with other prisoners from Wing A, the segregated wing for prisoners who can't be in the normal jail population for their own protection.

“The other prisoner got a metal bar from the waste metal crates and smashed Huntley three times in the head with it. It was a very, very serious injury, having been struck on the skull like that.”

Another source told The Sun Huntley's head was 'in two' following the attack, and said “There is not much coming back from that."

The prison where the attack took place (Tom Wilkinson/PA Wire)

"He was bashed to bits and was not breathing,” they added.

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: "The 52-year-old prisoner who was injured during this morning’s assault in the workshop at HMP Frankland remains in a serious condition in hospital following treatment for head injuries.

"Police forensic teams have examined the scene of the attack throughout the day to gather evidence.

"A suspect, a male prisoner in his mid-40s, has been identified by officers investigating the incident.

"He has not been arrested at this stage but remains in detention within the prison."

This is the third time the killer has been attacked in prison.

Back in 2010, his throat was slashed, and in 2005, another inmate threw boiling water over him.

Best friends Holly and Jessica had gone out to buy sweets together, when Huntley lured the little girls into his home, before killing them.

He dumped their bodies in a ditch in Lakenheath, Suffolk, before joining desperate family and friends in the search for them, even talking to the media about the case.