Ian Huntley, the notorious Soham child killer, is fighting for his life after being left...

Published: 11:00 am February 26, 2026
Updated: 12:18 pm February 26, 2026

Ian Huntley, the notorious Soham child killer, is fighting for his life after being left unconscious and bleeding following a savage attack inside HMP Frankland.

Frenzied Assault Leaves Huntley Airlifted to Hospital

The 52-year-old was found in a pool of blood on his prison wing around 9am after a violent inmate launched a brutal attack. Sources reveal Huntley’s condition is “touch and go.”

“It was absolute chaos,” a source said. “Huntley is usually heavily protected, so someone must have timed it perfectly to strike when he wasn’t with guards. They likely used a weapon given the severity of his injuries.”

The attack at the high-security jail in County Durham echoes previous incidents, including the fatal stabbing of paedophile rocker Ian Watkins last October at Wakefield Prison.

 

Huntley’s Dark History Makes Him a Target Behind Bars

Huntley is serving life sentences for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, whose disappearance shook the nation.

 

He lured the schoolgirls to his home before killing them, sparking a massive nationwide manhunt. Huntley was found guilty in 2003 and is locked up at Frankland.

 

His reputation as a child killer has made him a prime target in prison. In 2010, armed robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley’s throat in the same jail, sending him to the hospital.

In 2005, murderer Mark Hobson threw boiling water over him at Wakefield Prison.

Jail Guards Crack Down on Huntley’s Provocative Items

Officers recently seized a red Manchester United-style shirt Huntley was wearing, which carried a chilling No 10—likely a sick reference to the ages of his victims. Inmates had complained about the top.

Other confiscated items include framed photos of Huntley with ex-fiancée Maxine Carr and several DVDs.

 

Legacy of Horror Still Haunting Families

“He knew how the girls would react because that’s how they reacted when he killed them,” said one reporter, referring to Huntley’s eerie knowledge during interviews shortly after the murders.

Despite Huntley’s claims in court that the deaths were accidental, tapes recorded in prison revealed he deliberately killed Jessica to silence her.

His continued lies leave the families of victims without closure.

Huntley will not be eligible for release until 2042.

 

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: ‘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 the hospital.
‘A police investigation is now underway into the circumstances of the incident, and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.

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