A former inmate who served time alongside notorious child killer Ian Huntley has provided a chilling account of his paranoid existence behind bars, revealing that Huntley once commissioned a portrait of a young girl just weeks before his fatal attack in prison.
The Arrival at 'Monster Mansion'
Ian Huntley, who was convicted for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, was transferred to HMP Frankland in 2008. The maximum-security facility, nicknamed 'Monster Mansion' due to housing some of Britain's most dangerous criminals, became Huntley's home alongside other notorious inmates including Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Hussain Osman, who planted one of the London bombs in 2005.
From the moment Huntley arrived at Frankland, he was placed on the Vulnerable Prisoners wing as officers recognized the immediate threat he faced from other inmates. "I remember a few days before we were all warned by an officer he was going to come onto our wing," recalled the former inmate, who wishes to remain anonymous. "He was only a few cells down from me – but he was very careful about who he spoke to."
A Life of Paranoia and Isolation
Despite projecting an air of confidence by "walking around like he owned the place," Huntley spent most of his time "paranoid and on high alert," according to the ex-inmate who served at Frankland between 2006 and 2010. The constant threat of violence meant Huntley trusted only two people during his incarceration.
"All the time prisoners were saying they were going to target him," the former inmate explained. "And because of this Huntley only really spoke to two people. He didn't trust anyone." This isolation was compounded by multiple previous attacks on Huntley, including being scalded with boiling water at HMP Wakefield and suffering a severe neck wound requiring 21 stitches after being slashed with a homemade weapon in 2010.
The Portrait Commission
After several weeks of cautious observation, Huntley began to trust the former inmate, particularly after discovering his artistic talent. "I had a bit of a business going drawing portraits for prisoners – just with pencil," the ex-inmate revealed. "When Huntley found out he asked me if I could draw a portrait for him."
Huntley provided a photograph featuring what appeared to be his daughter alongside an older woman, possibly his mother or grandmother. The transaction, however, nearly collapsed when Huntley took offense at the £50 fee. "I had to tell him I charge everyone £50," the former inmate said. "But he really thought I was just making him pay that because of who he was."
The Fatal Attack and Aftermath
Two weeks ago, Huntley's paranoid fears materialized when he was bludgeoned in the head with a metal pole inside a prison workshop. The attack left him "brain dead with no expectation of survival," and after days on life support, he died on Saturday. Anthony Russell, 43, who is serving a whole life order, has been charged with Huntley's murder.
An ex-prison officer provided context for the attack, noting that "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. They are out to get him because they are bored and they have nothing to lose."
Family Reaction and Legacy
Huntley's daughter, Samantha Bryan, expressed relief at her father's death, telling the Sun on Sunday: "What he's done will never leave me. But him not being here any more is definitely going to better my life and my mindset. I've had nightmares for years. Knowing he's gone, I think the nightmares will now dissipate." She went so far as to say she wanted to flush his ashes down the toilet.
The former inmate's revelations provide unprecedented insight into the daily reality of one of Britain's most notorious criminals, illustrating how even in the controlled environment of maximum security, Huntley lived in constant fear of the violence that ultimately claimed his life.
