Infamous murderers and rapists at HMP Frankland, dubbed Monster Mansion for housing depraved inmates, now watch their backs after child killer Ian Huntley’s death. The 52-year-old succumbed to severe head injuries from a brutal prison workshop attack on February 26, passing away nine days later.
Huntley’s Killer Faces Court
Fellow inmate Anthony Russell, 43, appeared via video link from HMP Frankland at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, charged with Huntley’s murder. Huntley served a life sentence for killing 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2002.
High-Profile Inmates on Alert
A prison source reveals that other notorious killers like Huntley fear they could be next, as inmates seek fame by targeting famous prisoners. Potential victims include Levi Bellfield, who raped and murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, and ex-police officer Wayne Couzens, who abducted, raped, and killed Sarah Everard in 2021.
Couzens receives daily abuse and threats, with warnings that serious harm is inevitable. Bellfield has converted to Islam, seemingly to gain protection from Muslim prison gangs. Inmates face risks of slashing, beatings, or kettling—boiling water mixed with sugar thrown at their faces.
The source stated: “Couzens is already getting abuse and threats every day. You look at someone like him, murderer, rapist, and worst of all a copper, and you know it’s only a matter of time.”
Recent Violent Incidents
HMP Frankland in County Durham has seen escalating violence. Last April, Hashem Abedi, jailed for life aiding the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, allegedly assaulted three officers with boiling liquid and an improvised weapon. He denies attempted murder charges.
Some inmates view themselves as superior to Huntley in the prison hierarchy, spurring attacks. The source noted: “Others will be thinking ‘how can I put myself on the map too’? That’s why in the days and weeks after an attack like this, things get extra dangerous. High-profile inmates will want to stay in the cells or be looking over their shoulders thinking they could be next.”
Additional risks target Urfan Sharif, 43, who beat his 10-year-old daughter Sara to death, and David Fuller, 71, jailed in 2021 for sexually assaulting over 100 female corpses in NHS morgues.
The source added: “These people are hated both inside and outside of prison, but the difference inside is that you can earn kudos from other inmates by getting one over on them. You have to remember that prison life is incredibly boring. It’s also hierarchical and a lot of these people have nothing to lose.”
Violence at Other High-Security Prisons
At HMP Wakefield, paedophile singer Ian Watkins, 48, died last October from a neck stabbing; two men face murder charges. Weeks later, Kyle Bevan, 33, jailed for life for killing his partner’s two-year-old daughter Lola James, died in an alleged attack, with three inmates charged.
Expert Warnings on Prison Risks
The head of the Prison Governors’ Association warns that prisoners like Huntley face rising violence from inmates with nothing to lose. Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, highlights prison hierarchies where sex offenders rank lowest. She said: “There are hierarchies in every prison, and sex offenders are right at the bottom. We are hearing from many sex offenders that they are spending more time self-isolating in their cells because they do not feel safe.”
Government Response
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated: “This government inherited a prisons system in crisis, overcrowded and with significant staffing shortages. We are recruiting more officers and deploying them where they’re most needed, as well as investing £40m in new security measures to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars.”
