Why Huntley was attacked explained as expert lifts lid on what drove vicious assault

As police continue to investigate Anthony Russell for his attack on Ian Huntley, one legal expert admitted that lags serving a whole life term in prison can become even more evil

Whole life tariffs can turn killers even more into monsters than they already are, according to legal experts. Following the attack on Ian Huntley on Thursday (February 26), police are continuing their investigations into the incident and why it would have been carried out.

Anthony Russell, 43, the inmate suspected of leaving Ian Huntley fighting for life, is a triple killer and rapist sentenced to die to jail. He is among 74 of the most dangerous lags in Britain with whole life orders — meaning there is no chance they will ever be freed.

While the sentence may reassure the public it makes those serving it the most feared prisoners in the country. Now, one legal source has admitted that when prisoners are sent down and they know they will spend the rest of their lives in jail then it makes them even more dangerous.

One legal source said: “Whole lifers have nothing to lose, they are the biggest dangers in prison. They know they will never get out so what deterrent is there to control their behaviour inside?

“They think they can do what they want with impunity. I can see why the public clamours for whole life tariffs — they want to feel protected. But they turn already evil men into complete monsters.”

Double murderer Gary Vinter, 56, was already serving a whole life sentence when he stabbed Roy Whiting, the killer of schoolgirl Sarah Payne, in the eye at Wakefield Prison, West Yorks, in 2011. He picked up another life sentence for attempting to murder fellow double killer Lee Newell in Milton Keynes jail in 2014.

Vinter repeatedly kicked his fellow lifer in the head leaving him blind in one eye because wanted to be moved to a prison with a better gym. In a letter to a newspaper Vinter wrote: “I am sitting in the segregation unit and have been for a number of weeks.

“I was involved in a stabbing (not fatal) on the wing. You see how I can admit in a letter to an offence as serious as that.

“It’s because the judge when he sentenced me to natural life gave me an invisible licence that said that I can breach any laws I want, no matter how serious, and the law can’t touch me. I’m above the law.

“I said to the governor, don’t waste any money on investigations, just give me another life sentence for my collection. They don’t mean anything any more.”

England and Wales are almost alone in Europe in handing out whole life tariffs. In contrast to British law, other European countries like Portugal, Norway and Spain do not have any kind of life sentence.

Every European country except Holland and England and Wales have fixed periods for their lifers after which release is considered. Solicitor Simon Creighton, who represented Vinter and others in challenging the no-hope stretches, has said: “The whole-life tariff is against all principles of international law as it denies any possibility of reform of rehabilitation.

“The real problem lies in removing all hope at the time the sentence is imposed. This is not only inhumane for the prisoner but also creates enormous difficulties in managing these prisoners.”

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