Ian Huntley put himself at risk of jail attack when he gained so much weight he had to leave his cell for regular personal training sessions
Soham killer Ian Huntley put himself at risk of attack after gaining weight behind bars. A source told the Daily Mail that last year Huntley had to be put on a diet and fitness regime which meant individually tailored PT sessions. That took him from his cell more often to attend gymnasium workouts and visit the prison's healthcare block.The source said: 'Huntley's best chance of remaining safe from attack by other prisoners has always been to keep his head down as much as possible.'But last year he put himself in a position where he drew attention to himself.'He had gained so much weight that a diet and exercise regime had to be worked out for him which involved him having PT sessions to try to slim him down to a healthier size.'More movement around the prison estate means more people notice you and in Huntley's case that's bad news.'It comes as the convicted child killer was assaulted in a workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham on Thursday morning. Soham killer Ian Huntley (pictured), who was attacked on Thursday, put himself at risk of attack after gaining weight behind bars It is believed Huntley was attacked by Anthony Russell (pictured), who is serving a life sentence for triple murder and rapeHuntley, who is serving a life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, remains in hospital on life support, in a medically induced coma after surgery. He is now reliant on a ventilator to breathe after the ambush, which saw him beaten around the head three times with a metal spike. Durham Constabulary has confirmed a prisoner in his mid-40s has been identified as a suspect in the attack, but not arrested. They have not yet been named by police but it is understood to be 43-year-old Anthony Russell, who is also serving a whole life term. Russell was convicted in 2022 of murdering Julie Williams, David Williams and Nicole McGregor across a week-long killing spree in 2020. He was also found guilty of raping Ms Gregor, who was pregnant at the time of her death. Mr Williams, who was 32, was found dead under a bed at his Coventry flat after Russell strangled him with a lanyard. Russell then murdered his mother, 58-year-old Julie Williams, to prevent her from going to the police. Her body was recovered at her home with 113 injuries. Days later, Russell raped and strangled Ms McGregor after luring her into woodland in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.He then went on the run and was found by police in the back of a stolen car in Staffordshire.Before Huntley's attack, it was reported that while being moved around HMP Frankland, he wore a red football top with number 10 on the back - seen as a taunt centred on his victims. Huntley murdered 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman (pictured) in 2002. Before his attack, Huntley allegedly wore a red football top - similar to the Manchester United tops Wells and Chapman wore at the time of their deathsHolly Wells and Jessica Chapman were both aged 10 when they were murdered by Huntley in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002. Both girls were wearing red Manchester United tops at the time. Huntley was reportedly called a 'sick b****d' by inmates for wearing the football top - and responded with a thumbs-up.A source told The Sun Huntley's mother, 71-year-old Lynda Richards, has said 'part of me hopes he dies' after visiting her son in hospital and finding him 'unrecognisable' after the attack.Ms Richards made the confession to friends after she made a secret trip, escorted by a Prison Service liaison officer and a friend, to his bedside, travelling 175 miles from her home in Lincolnshire.The source said she 'just wants to be free of it', admitting she knows 'few will mourn his passing' if he dies - but said she is 'still his mother.'Huntley - originally from Grimsby - enticed both schoolgirls into his home and murdered them, before dumping their bodies in a ditch some 12 miles away.Suspicions were raised about Huntley after he gave detailed interviews to the media about Holly and Jessica.Two weeks after they disappeared, Holly and Jessica's bodies were found in a ditch near an air base in Lakenheath, Suffolk.Huntley, who was a caretaker at Soham Village College, was arrested and charged with their murders.During his trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Richard Latham QC described Huntley as 'ruthless' and said Huntley's account of both deaths were 'desperate lies.'He was jailed for at least 40 years in 2003 and is serving two life terms in Frankland, the top security facility at Brasside on the edge of Durham, which is known to lags as Monster Mansion.
