Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Ian Huntley’s Death Linked to Prison Head Injury

An inquest revealed that Ian Huntley, the convicted Soham murderer, died as a result of a head injury sustained during a prison attack. The incident occurred at HMP Frankland in Durham on 26 February, where he was struck repeatedly with a metal bar by another inmate. Huntley, 52, passed away nine days later at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Huntley had previously served a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the 2002 killings of 10-year-old schoolfriends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. His death has prompted the suspension of further inquiry into the cause of his demise, as County Durham and Darlington senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield noted criminal proceedings would take precedence.

Anthony Russell, 43, faces murder charges related to Huntley’s death and is scheduled to appear in Newcastle Crown Court on 24 April. According to documents presented to the coroner, the brief hearing in Crook, County Durham, outlined that Huntley was “struck over the head multiple times by another prisoner with an object described as a metal bar.” The injuries led to his death on 7 March at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, as confirmed by the inquest.

“The cause of death was determined as ‘blunt head injury,'” stated Dr Jennifer Bolton, the forensic pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination two days after the incident.

The tragic disappearance of the two girls followed a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002. It is believed they were heading to purchase sweets when Huntley, then 28, lured them back to his residence and murdered them. Their bodies were discovered in a ditch two weeks after they went missing, sparking nationwide media attention and police appeals for information.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram for updates on this case and others in the region.