Child killer Ian Huntley is ‘blind, brain dead, and unlikely to survive’

Soham killer Ian Huntley is ‘brain dead with no expectation of surviving’ after being bludgeoned with a metal bar in jail.

Huntley, who is behind bars for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2003, is also understood to have been declared blind by the attack at HMP Frankland last week.

A former officer who worked in the most secure units of the maximum security prison told Metro the attack was ‘not done out of justice’ but more likely for notoriety within the prison hierarchy, the press, or even an argument over the laundry.

He said: ‘This is hardly the first time he has been attacked.

‘He had cleaning fluid thrown in his eyes by a prisoner once and walked around for a while with sunglasses on to hide the scarring.

‘But these attacks are not done out of justice. They are done because usually the attacker wants notoriety. At best, it’s originated from a spat over the washing machine.’

Huntley was ambushed inside a waste management workshop.

Triple killer and rapist Anthony Russell, 43, who is serving a whole life order, has been named as a suspect in the attack.

Huntley has been classed as a ‘vulnerable prisoner’ (VP) since the start of his life sentence in 2003, and has been segregated from the main jail population.

VP status is given to ‘big names’ whose crimes dominated the news, and those who committed serious sexual or terror offences.

‘He used to walk around A-wing like he owned the place. He definitely had an air of arrogance,’ the ex-officer said.

‘But since he started getting attacked more and prison officers also started getting frustrated with him, he definitely quietened down, and spent most of his free time on his PlayStation 2.’

Huntley has spent much of time in prison avoiding and recovering from attacks.

In 2010 robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley with a home-made weapon, causing a ‘severe, gaping cut to the left side of his neck’ with a 7in (18cm) wound which required 21 stitches.

The ex-officer added: ‘He also wore sunglasses for a while after getting undiluted cleaning fluid thrown in his eye.

‘But it is important to remember that the attacker is just as bad as Huntley.

‘In that prison, there are thousands of Huntleys. No one is out to get him because of his crimes because they are all the same.’

He continued: ‘They are out to get him because they are bored and they have nothing to lose.’

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