Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Inquest reveals cause of death linked to prison assault

An inquest into the death of Ian Huntley, the convicted murderer of two Soham schoolgirls, concluded that he succumbed to a severe head injury inflicted during a prison attack. The incident occurred at HMP Frankland in Durham on 26 February, where Huntley, then 52, was struck multiple times with a metal bar by another inmate.

“Struck over the head multiple times by another prisoner with an object described as a metal bar,” the coroner was informed in documents presented during the brief hearing in Crook, County Durham.

Forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton confirmed the cause of death as “blunt head injury” following a post-mortem examination conducted two days after the attack. Huntley passed away on 7 March at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, nine days post-incident. The coroner stated that further inquiry into his death would be paused while criminal proceedings unfold.

Anthony Russell, 43, faces charges of murdering Huntley and is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 24 April. The former school caretaker had been serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the 2002 killings of 10-year-old best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Tragic events in Soham

The girls vanished after leaving a family barbecue in August 2002, reportedly en route to purchase sweets. Huntley, then 28, lured them back to his home, where they were murdered. Their bodies were discovered in a ditch two weeks later, sparking national headlines and prompting police appeals for information.