Ian Huntley
Ian Huntley may recover from a recent prison attack but future attempts at his life is likely. (Photo: Express.co.uk)

Ian Huntley, the convicted felon serving a life sentence for the murder of two minors in 2002, was reportedly assaulted by another inmate at a prison workshop at HMP Frankland on Thursday, 26 February. It was added that the 52-year-old suffered serious head injuries and is receiving treatment.

According to BBC News, the inmate who viciously attacked Huntley was Anthony Russell. The triple killer allegedly assaulted the Soham double murderer with a makeshift weapon. In an update by Durham Constabulary on Friday, 27 February, Huntley's condition remained the same.

It was on Thursday when Huntley was found in a pool of blood after he was assaulted with the makeshift weapon. An investigation regarding the incident is underway and no formal arrests have been made thus far.

Huntley and Russell allegedly had a brief argument before things got out of hand. Russell got hold of a pole with a spike at its end and bludgeoned the Soham murderer at least six times, Sky News reported.

Huntley's History of Prison Attacks

Locked in a prison nicknamed Monster Mansion, Huntley's latest assault is nothing new. In fact, it was the second time he has been attacked since being sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2003.

In March 2010, Huntley survived an attack by an inmate who slashed his throat using a makeshift knife. The Soham murderer suffered a seven-inch-long wound to his neck, but the attack did not hit anything vital.

The man behind that attack was identified as Damien Fowkes. For his attempted murder of Huntley, Fowkes was handed a minimum of 20 years in prison. Aside from his assault on Huntley, Fowkes was also charged with the murder of another child killer, Colin Hatch.

Huntley's Heinous Acts Unforgotten

Despite his delicate state, Huntley's condition remains overshadowed by the heinous crime he committed in 2002. While working as a school caretaker at the time, his role in the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remains fresh in the minds of many.

Huntley was singled out as the main suspect in the deaths of the two minors. This was after the two girls went missing that year after leaving a family gathering. After going out to buy sweets, Holly and Jessica never returned.

In an effort to elude authorities, Huntley volunteered to help in the search for the missing girls. It appeared to work at first, but inconsistencies in his answers during questioning became his downfall.

Furthermore, his dubious behaviour during the investigation made authorities even more suspicious. Along with his girlfriend at the time, Maxine Carr, the two were eventually arrested for the murder of Wells and Chapman.

Huntley's downfall came when police matched his footprints to the bin where the girls' clothes were found. Carr also confessed that she had been lying in her statements and had provided Huntley with false alibis.

Where is Maxine Carr Now?

Being an accessory to the crime, Carr was handed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence. She was released in May 2004 and is allegedly living under a new identity, according to The Mirror. Carr is said to be in a relationship with a new partner, someone who knows her disturbing past.

As for Huntley, the focus right now is on his recovery from the latest brutal attack at Monster Mansion. But even if he does survive this latest attack, a potential new assault in prison is not far-fetched.