Ian Huntley death blamed on fatal prison bar attack, inquest told

A coroner has revealed that Ian Huntley — the man jailed for the 2002 murders of two 10-year-old girls in Soham — died from severe head injuries after an assault inside HMP Frankland. The inquest, opened on April 14, names a fellow inmate now charged with murder and underlines fresh questions about safety in high-security prisons.

The hearing in Crook, County Durham, heard that Huntley suffered blunt-force trauma after being struck repeatedly with a metal bar in a prison workshop on February 26. Coroner’s officer Bradley King told the court the attack caused substantial head injuries and that Huntley was later pronounced dead at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on March 7.

Criminal proceedings and next steps

The senior coroner, Jeremy Chipperfield, opened the inquest under the name Ian Kevin Huntley. Police have charged 43-year-old Anthony Russell with murder in connection with the incident. Russell is due at Newcastle Crown Court on April 24 for a pre-trial preparation hearing.

The coroner’s office confirmed the inquest has been formally opened; further hearings and inquiries are expected as criminal proceedings continue. No conclusion on liability or motive has been reached at this stage.

Timeline of events

• February 26 — Alleged assault in a workshop at HMP Frankland.
• March 7 — Huntley dies at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle.
• April 14 — Inquest into the death opened in Crook, County Durham.
• April 24 — Pre-trial preparation hearing listed at Newcastle Crown Court for the accused.

Case background

Huntley was serving a life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10, who went missing from Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002. Their bodies were discovered days later; Huntley was convicted at the Old Bailey in 2003 and given a life term with a 40-year minimum tariff.

At the time of the murders, Huntley lived with Maxine Carr, a former teaching assistant at the girls’ school. Carr provided a false alibi and was later imprisoned for perverting the course of justice; she is reported to be living under a new identity.

What this means now

Officials will now pursue two parallel processes: the criminal case against the accused prisoner and the coroner’s inquest to establish the medical cause and circumstances of death. The inquest record and any findings could inform reviews of prison procedures and inmate safety at high-security establishments.

Police and prison authorities typically review such incidents internally and may take further action depending on investigative outcomes. The opening of an inquest is an early stage in that fact-finding process rather than a final determination.

The inquest will continue as legal and investigative steps proceed.