Ian Huntley dies in hospital after ‘life-support machine switched off’
Warning: This story contains violent and disturbing content which some readers may find distressing.
Ian Huntley, the Soham killer, has died after he was attacked by another inmate at the maximum security prison HMP Frankland, County Durham.
The 52-year-old had been left 'fighting for his life' after he was attacked on the morning of 26 February in the prison workshop where he was left in a 'serious condition'.
The attack was first reported by The Sun, which said Huntley had been knocked unconscious with a metal pole by a man who reportedly shouted 'I've done it' after the attack which left him 'touch and go'.
Durham Constabulary later announced that a man had been treated for 'head injuries' and described the suspected attacker as 'a male prisoner in his mid-40s'.
Now the BBC reports that Huntley has died as a result of the attack which had left him 'fighting for his life', shortly after it had been reported that his life support machine had been switched off.
It had previously been reported that Huntley had been 'declared blind' after the attack and was considered unlikely to survive.
Speaking to the BBC, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: "The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation's history and our thoughts are with their families."
Huntley was in the maximum security prison serving a life sentence with a recommended minimum term of 40 years for murdering 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman on 4 August, 2002.
The former caretaker murdered the children after they left a family barbeque to buy sweets, with him then disposing of their bodies in a ditch where they were found on 17 August that same year after an extensive search effort.
He had involved himself with the investigation, saying he had been the last one to see the girls alive, he was later arrested and 16 months on from the bodies being discovered Huntley was convicted of the murders and given a life sentence.
This was not the first time he had been attacked in prison, in 2010 a man convicted of robbery named Damien Fowkes caused a 'severe, gaping cut to the left side of his neck' by slashing Huntley with a homemade weapon.
Fowkes had described Huntley as a 'notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general', and asked a prison officer: "Is he dead? I hope so."
That particular attack had caused an 18cm wound and required several stitches.
This time he was taken to hospital for his head injuries caused in the prison workshop attack that left him in a pool of blood.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “A man who was attacked at HMP Frankland in Durham last week has died in hospital this morning.
“Ian Huntley, 52, was taken to hospital with serious injuries following an incident in the workshop on the morning of Thursday, February 26.
“A police investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing.
“A file is being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration for charges.”
Joe Harker