SERVED dismal meal trays in his cell and carted to tearful visitations with his parents on a golf buggy for protection, Ian Huntley’s life behind bars has long been a exercise in survival.
Now, as the monstrous murderer following a yesterday, one of his former guards has lifted the lid on the extraordinary measures prisons have been forced to take over the years to fend off bloodthirsty lags desperate for a ‘trophy kill’.
Soham killer Ian Huntley was convicted of double murder in 2003Credit: PA:Press Association
Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10, were murdered by the monsterCredit: Rex
Huntley was held at Woodhill prison while awaiting trialCredit: PA
Triple killer Anthony Russell is believed to have attacked Huntley in a prison bloodbath this weekCredit: West Midlands Police
Journalist David McGee, who found himself guarding Huntley in a Category A jail during a daring undercover operation, said every possible precaution was taken to keep him safe from other inmates who wanted him dead.
But with prison overcrowding and staff shortages reaching a critical crisis, standards have slipped, leading to a huge surge in violence.
As part of a shocking investigation into the lax security of Britain’s jails in 2003, McGee landed a guard job and within days was placed on a rota of officers monitoring Huntley as he languished in a cell awaiting his trial at the Old Bailey for the brutal murders of schoolgirls .
, then known behind bars as Prisoner JG5778 at in , was on suicide watch and needed to be closely monitored by guards around the clock.
David recalled: “The police and prison management quite rightly feared Huntley would be killed from the very start of his stint in prison.
“From day one they were terrified he would be subject to some sort of trophy attack.
“They had good reason to think that – he was the most hated man in Britain at the time.
“And he was surrounded by some of the country’s most depraved and dangerous criminals who knew they were never getting out of prison anyway.
“Attacking Huntley would have been seen as a badge of honour.
“Whoever pulled it off would have been rewarded not just with treats like tobacco from the other inmates, but more importantly, the prestige.”
Guarding Huntley at Woodhill was a popular duty as warders would earn overtime, called Extra Gratuity Payments.
But it was gruelling work as the killer was locked in solitary confinement in his own individual cell block, far from any other lags.
David explained: “None of the other inmates could get anywhere near Huntley at that time, we had to make sure everyone else was kept well away.
“He was considered the very highest level of risk, the most vulnerable of all the prisoners.
“Huntley was given a level of protection that was not even afforded to police officers or paedophiles, who are generally considered extremely vulnerable because they tend to be the people who are most despised by other prisoners.”
The killer is now fighting for his life after being attacked in jailCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Huntley’s girlfriend Maxine Carr was convicted of perverting the course of justiceCredit: Reuters
David McGee was hired at HMP Woodhill and saw Huntley up closeCredit: Alamy
Part of McGee’s job was escorting Huntley to and from his cell in a special golf buggy, because he would have been exposed for too long if he had walked.
He was given his own individual room for meetings – even though he did not get many visitors, apart from his parents and lawyers.
“Huntley was certainly never allowed near the canteen – all his meals had to be delivered to him on a tray,” David added.
“He was not allowed to mix and mingle at all.”
Speaking to The Sun’s series, David said the cocky killer’s mask slipped during one emotional visitation from his parents.
He explained: “I was in the room while he spoke with his parents, and although I was not close enough to hear what they were saying, it was clear his parents were very upset too.
“By the time they left they were absolutely wrecked. I put my hand on Huntley’s shoulder to steer him back to the buggy.
“It was only a distance of about 100 yards back to his cell but I was told he had to be driven both ways.
“He was bawling his eyes out, the meeting had clearly been deeply traumatising for him.
“Afterwards it took him quite a while to settle down. It was an astonishing day.”
Huntley attempted suicide in 2006Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
His notoriety would make killing him a badge of honour in prisonCredit: PA:Press Association
With jails now operating at , standards in prisons across the country have inevitably plummeted.
McGee tells us: “I’m not remotely surprised by this latest attack.
“Complacency has set in and I know that staff have had no choice but to become more relaxed.
“Huntley is one of the country’s most famous prisoners, it would still be considered a badge of honour to attack him – or worse.
“Anyone who managed it would be hailed a hero by the other inmates.”
I found him quite slimy and I’m sure he believed he would get away with his vile crimes
On Thursday it emerged that Huntley had been rushed to hospital after being found in a pool of blood following an attack allegedly by triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, at HMP Frankland in County Durham where he is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 40 years.
In 2011, a prisoner who slashed Huntley’s throat with a makeshift knife was jailed for life.
was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley after inflicting a wound seven inches long on the Soham murderer’s neck. The court was told it was only “good fortune” that the weapon missed anything vital.
Huntley had been convicted along with his girlfriend Maxine Carr, who knowingly provided him with an alibi during the search in August 2002.
Efforts to locate the missing girls in the 13 days after they disappeared have been described as the most extensive in British history as 400 cops were assigned full time to the case.
Huntley was arrested when cops discovered charred pieces of the red Manchester United football shirts both girls had been wearing when they disappeared.
Meeting a monster
More than two decades later, David can still remember the moment he first came face-to-face with Huntley.
Speaking to The Sun’s series, he said: “When I first saw Huntley in the Care Centre where he was based my mouth went dry.
“He seemed pale, overweight and had bags under his eyes. He was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, trousers and a pair of trainers.”
At times, David found himself alone with the killer for hours on end.
He said: “I had to bat away his questions because I’d been trained not to engage with the prisoners, but that did not seem to stop him.
“It was clear he was trying to be matey because that would have served him well, although there were other moments when he was tetchy and prickly but fortunately there were bars between us.”
Looking back on the extraordinary time they spent together, David adds: “I definitely got a sense of his arrogance, he thought he was smarter than everyone else.
“He was deluded. I found him quite slimy and I’m sure he believed he would get away with his vile crimes.”
Damien Fowkes was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley in 2011Credit: Northamptonshire Police
He used this homemade shank to slash the Soham murderer’s neckCredit: Caters News Agency
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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