Mother of Soham Killer Ian Huntley Visits Him in Hospital After Brutal Prison Assault
Lynda Richards, the 71-year-old mother of convicted child killer Ian Huntley, has made a shocking confession to friends after visiting her son in hospital following a vicious attack in prison. She revealed that "part of me hopes he dies" after finding him rendered "unrecognisable" by his severe injuries, which include brain damage, skull fractures, and a broken jaw.
Secret Hospital Visit and Emotional Turmoil
Ms Richards undertook a secret 175-mile journey from her home in Lincolnshire to the hospital in the North East, escorted by a Prison Service liaison officer and a friend. She arrived just before midday yesterday, driven by a desire to be with her son if there was a chance he might pass away. A source close to the family told The Sun that Ms Richards "just wants to be free of it," acknowledging that "few will mourn his passing" but emphasising she is "still his mother."
The assault has been described as harrowing for Ms Richards, who only learned about it from a friend who saw the news. The source added that, given Huntley has been attacked multiple times in prison, she now thinks "it might be better if he didn't pull through." They explained, "It's an extraordinarily difficult thing for her to come to terms with. Part of her just hopes he passes away this time." Despite the horrific nature of his crimes, the pair remain close, having spoken on the phone just two days before the attack.
Details of the Prison Attack and Suspected Attacker
The brutal assault occurred on Thursday morning at around 9:30 am in a recycling workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham. Huntley, 52, was beaten around the head three times with a metal spike, with such force that part of the bar became lodged inside his skull. He was rendered unconscious by the first blow and is now reliant on a ventilator to breathe, having undergone surgery for his head wound.
Multiple prison sources suspect the attacker is Anthony Russell, a 43-year-old triple murderer and rapist also serving a life sentence. Russell is understood to have started an argument with Huntley, leading to a fight. After the assault, he was heard celebrating, shouting, "I've done it, I've done it! I've killed him, I've killed him!" as he was led away in handcuffs by prison officers. He has been moved to segregation but has not been arrested.
Paramedics and an air ambulance rushed to the high-security prison, where staff initially believed the attack was fatal. Huntley was found in a pool of blood and immediately placed in a medically induced coma before being transported to hospital by road. Doctors have given him only a five percent chance of survival, with surgeons shocked he is still alive. An insider remarked on Friday, "It is miraculous he is still alive. Medics have worked miracles on him and he has clung on."
Huntley's Condition and Prison Environment
Huntley remains in hospital on life support, in a serious and "grave" condition. He is the only patient on a ward that was cleared for his arrival and is now under guard by armed police and senior justice officials. If he survives, it is unlikely he will return to HMP Frankland; instead, he would probably be transferred to a secure hospital such as Broadmoor, Rampton, or Ashworth, where he could be closely monitored away from other inmates.
The attack took place on Wing A, a segregated wing for prisoners who cannot be in the normal jail population for their own protection, such as sex offenders or jailed police officers. Inmates on this wing move around the prison as a group to remain segregated. A prison source described the scene as "absolute chaos," with Huntley's condition "touch and go." One woman who visited an inmate housed alongside Huntley said it looked like he had been "ripped apart like a rat," adding, "He's in a bad, bad way. I shouldn't say it, but it's what he deserves."
Background on Huntley and Russell
Ian Huntley is serving at least 40 years behind bars for the infamous Soham murders in Cambridgeshire in 2002. He lured ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman into his three-bedroom cottage after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets, murdered them, and dumped their bodies in a ditch. He later attempted to set fire to them. Huntley denied the murders, subjecting the girls' families to a gruelling six-week trial, and was convicted in 2003. He has been attacked several times in prison, including being scalded with boiling water in 2005 and having his throat slashed in 2010.
Anthony Russell, from Coventry, was initially locked up after a week-long killing spree in October 2020. He killed Julie Williams and her son David Williams, before raping and murdering Nicole McGregor, who was five months pregnant. Russell inflicted 113 separate injuries on Ms Williams and later assaulted Ms McGregor just hours after she showed him a picture of her baby scan.
Reactions and Copycat Concerns
Many inmates are said to have cheered rather than rush to Huntley's aid during the attack, with insiders claiming there had been a "queue" of inmates who wanted to kill him, including Darren Osborne, the Finsbury Park Mosque attacker. The attack reportedly occurred because Huntley "was trying to bully" Russell and "turn others against him."
A former prison officer warned that guards will now be on the lookout for copycat attacks, noting that tension is heightened in the Category A prison. They explained, "Just like on the outside when something horrendous happens you get copycats looking for five minutes of fame, it's the same in a prison." However, the source also believes many prisoners will not celebrate the attack due to the disruptions it causes to their routine, as most inmates at Frankland have accepted their lot and abide by the rules.
Ms Richards' emotional struggle highlights the ongoing impact of Huntley's crimes, with the source concluding that she and the rest of his family, all scarred by what he did, "can't be at peace until it's all over."
