Soham murderer Ian Huntley ‘fighting for life’ after prison attack
Ian Huntley is reportedly 'fighting for his life' after an attack this morning (26 February) at HMP Frankland, County Durham.
The Sun reports that the 52-year-old was taken to hospital after another inmate targeted him at around 9am. It's said he was left lying in a pool of blood on his prison wing.
A Prison Service spokesperson told LADbible: “A prisoner is receiving treatment after an incident at HMP Frankland on Thursday morning.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further while police investigate.”
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Huntley is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering 10 year old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002.
The children went missing in Soham, Cambridgeshire, before their bodies were found in a ditch in Lakenheath, Suffolk, two weeks later.
It wasn't until members of the press interviewed the former school caretaker that alarm bells were raised over his answers and interest in the schoolgirls' case.
Huntley had previously faced allegations of rape and under age sex and the Soham murders case changed policing in the UK. He pleaded not guilty to their murders and was convicted in 2003.
His then fiancée, Maxine Carr, was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica's school and gave Huntley a false alibi. She was given three-and-a-half years for perverting the course of justice and given a new identity on release. Carr was granted a lifelong anonymity order in 2005.
Following this morning's reported frenzied attack on Huntley, a source told The Sun he was 'touch and go' as a metal pole was used.
“It was absolute chaos and Huntley was in a terrible state. I’m amazed someone was able to get anywhere near him because he is usually really closely protected,” they said.
“They must have timed it when he wasn’t with prison officers and must have used a weapon to injure him so severely.”
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary told LADbible: “Police were alerted to an assault which had taken place within HMP Frankland in Durham this morning.
“A male prisoner suffered serious injuries during the incident and was transported to hospital.
“A police investigation is now underway into the circumstances of the incident and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.”
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 9.23am on Thursday 26 February 2026 to reports of an incident at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham.
“We dispatched two ambulance crews to the scene and requested support from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
“One patient was transported to hospital by road.”
It's reported that the infamous murderer has been attacked by fellow inmates in jail at least three times before over the years and has previously ended up in hospital.
Jess Battison