Soham killer Ian Huntley’s prison privileges restored after downgrade over taunting shirt

Ian Huntley, the Soham killer, has had his prison privileges restored, including access to an Xbox, more money for the canteen and longer visiting times, two months after authorities downgraded his regime amid allegations he taunted the families of the victims with a red Manchester United-style shirt.

The change follows public backlash and security concerns raised in July, when guards stormed Huntley’s cell at HMP Frankland in Durham after reports that he had been seen wearing a shirt resembling Manchester United colors. The item was tied to the double murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10, in 2002. Authorities said the shirt bore a white number 10 on the back, the girls’ ages, and was interpreted as a deliberately provocative reference to the victims’ attire during their disappearance. Investigators note Huntley had ordered the top from Sports Direct and took pains to make it resemble a football jersey, though it was not an actual team shirt. While the garment did not breach a specific prison rule, the incident prompted disciplinary actions, including the seizure of framed pictures of Huntley with his former fiancée Maxine Carr and other items such as DVDs, and a move from an “enhanced” regime to a standard one.

Two months after the downgrade, Huntley’s privileges were restored to full, with access to his Xbox and greater freedom of movement within the regime. A source described staff and other inmates as reacting with mixed views, saying some staff believed the decision was problematic and could undermine incentives systems, while Huntley reportedly welcomed the return to fuller privileges.

The move drew political criticism. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick condemned what he called an inappropriate display of leniency, saying Huntley should not be “swanning around” in prison and that the shirt should have been removed. Jenrick argued the incident and the subsequent handling by authorities sent the wrong signal about accountability in high-profile cases.

Huntley is serving two life sentences with a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002. The girls’ bodies were found abandoned near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk about 13 days after their disappearance, and the case shocked the nation. Carr, his former girlfriend, was later jailed for perverting the course of justice and released in 2004 under a new identity. In court, Huntley claimed the girls died accidentally, but in 2018 he admitted to deliberately killing Jessica to stop her from raising the alarm, while maintaining that Holly’s death was an accident. The Prison Service did not provide further comment for this report.