Overview
- Ian Huntley was seriously injured in an alleged assault at HMP Frankland and died at the Royal Victoria Infirmary on March 7, 2026.
- A provisional post-mortem by Dr Jennifer Bolton recorded blunt head injury as the cause of death.
- Fellow prisoner Anthony Russell has been charged with Huntley’s murder and made an initial court appearance earlier this year.
- Russell is due at a plea and trial preparation hearing on June 3 and the coroner has adjourned the inquest until a mention on September 15, 2026.
- The suspension follows standard coroner practice to avoid prejudicing criminal trials and leaves questions about high‑security prison safety and inmate management to be addressed during the criminal case.