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The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
I watched pitiful Soham killer Ian Huntley sob like a baby after going undercover in jail… how his arrogant mask slipped
WHITE as a ghost, overweight and sobbing uncontrollably, this was a side of Ian Huntley the cocky child killer never wanted anyone to see. And as David McGee wheeled the pitiful monster away in a golf buggy, he could barely believe the extraordinary chain of events that had led him to this moment. 11 11 11 11 As part of a shocking investigation into the lax security of Britain's jails, the former investigative reporter had landed a job as an officer at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes in early 2003. At the time the all-male Category A jail in Buckinghamshire held 650 prisoners. It had housed hostage taker Charles Bronson, 'Hannibal the Cannibal' killer Robert Maudsley and murderer Michael Sams, who had eight years added to his four life terms after taking a probation officer hostage at Woodhill. And just two weeks into his new role, David found himself left in sole charge of one of Britain's most notorious killers. The previous year, former school caretaker Huntley had lured ten-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman to their brutal deaths at his home in Soham, Cambs. Languishing in a Woodhill prison cell awaiting his trial for double murder at the Old Bailey, the brute was on suicide watch and needed to be monitored round the clock. Incredibly, that duty fell to David, who grew to know Huntley's "arrogant" and "slimy" character first-hand over a number of intimate encounters. Now, as part of The Sun's new true crime series, Meeting a Monster, which sees those who have met the UK's most infamous criminals reveal their darkest secrets, the former journalist recalls their incredible meetings. One occasion still sticks vividly in his mind: when he was tasked with escorting the killer to a visit with his distraught parents, Kevin and Linda, which saw his egotistical mask well and truly slip. Having driven Huntley to and from the visitors' suite in a golf buggy, David recalls him sobbing hysterically after the dramatic reunion. Soham killer Ian Huntley makes chilling comment during interview with Maxine Carr which helps snare him in Channel 5 thriller Maxine He tells The Sun: '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.' Chilling first meeting Using his real name and passport, which clearly stated he was a journalist, David incredibly still landed the job at Woodhill and worked there undercover for four months. When asked for references, he named his wife and mother - but nobody bothered to check. After some rudimentary training, in the spring of 2003, he was able to smuggle in a digital camera - which he concealed inside a personal organiser. His role involved guarding prisoners and ferrying them to and from court. He had access to keys for handcuffs, cell doors and the escape hatch in prison vans - meaning he could have freed inmates, passed drugs or weapons to them or even attacked them. 11 More than two decades later, David can still remember the moment he first came face-to-face with Huntley, known behind bars as Prisoner JG5778. Left alone with the Soham killer, David snapped a photograph of him slumped in his cell. They spent hours chatting together about football, running, and playing games of chess through the bars of his cell. 'I was shocked and amazed,' said David. 'I remember the day very clearly. I had just a fortnight's experience as a fully fledged warder and here I was doing one of the most vital jobs in the prison. 'When I first saw Huntley in the Health Care Centre where he was based my mouth went dry. 'I could see he was alone at the end of the corridor, his cell was at the end of a row of three and the others were kept empty. 'Huntley and his watcher were doing a crossword. I heard my colleague say a clue out loud: 'It's five letters and ends in stem.' 'I suggested 'brain' and it turned out to be right. I heard Huntley say from his cell: 'He's smart isn't he?' 'He seemed pale, overweight and had bags under his eyes. He was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, trousers and a pair of trainers. 'I said: 'Hello, how are you doing?' In a soft quiet voice he simply answered: 'All right.' 'We talked about soccer and when he rolled up a cigarette I cadged one off him, which is against prison rules. 'I was involved in a number of conversations with Huntley covering a wide variety of subjects." He adds: "We were close enough to share a chess board, our hands touched as we moved the pieces and I looked closely into his eyes. "That was chilling." Guarding Huntley was a popular duty at the jail as warders would get overtime, called Extra Gratuity Payments. Later, on May 7, David found himself guarding the killer alone again, this time for five hours. He said: 'Even though I was a raw rookie, I was on a rota to mind him after I was allowed to place my name on the overtime list of warders needed to man his round the clock suicide watch. "He asked me lots of questions and was actively engaged in conversation. I think he liked me and wanted me to like him. "He wanted to know about my partner, and said he preferred blonde women. "He was really interested in the fact that I had recently run the London marathon, and said he was very impressed with the time I finished it in. '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. 'He never mentioned anything about the crimes he was accused of. "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.' Prisoner perks Huntley's cell was painted pale yellow and was adorned with cards sent from his fiancée Maxine Carr - some pinned to a notice board and others carefully arranged on the windowsill. Each week he would buy two pouches of Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla cigarette papers, matches, Rich Tea biscuits and UHT milk. Outside the cell was a TV screen with a Playstation on top of it, and the wires to the handheld console were passed through the bars so Huntley could play video games. He was holed up next to the prison gym and would occasionally ask to use the rowing machine. 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. 'At that time, before his trial, he had not admitted his involvement in killing the girls or shown any remorse. "He was deluded. I found him quite slimy and I'm sure he believed he would get away with his vile crimes. 11 11 "He struck me as incredibly manipulative, and I could see how he would be able to intellectually dominate young children or someone he perceived to be intellectually inferior or impressionable - like his partner Maxine. Clearly she was not the brightest spark. 'All I could do was listen to him, and he was more than happy to talk to me. 'Of course I would have loved to ask him questions but I was not there for that, I was only there as a consequence of the poor security." When the photograph David had taken of Huntley in his cell was published, the scandal sparked a Home Office investigation into the shambolic security at the prison. Prison industry groups said underfunding and staff shortages could have led to the apparent security blunder. David faced two charges under the 1952 Prisons Act in relation to the digital camera he had used, which flouted a rule prohibiting the taking in of items to the prison without authorisation. But he was later cleared when Milton Keynes Magistrates Court dismissed the case against him and all charges were dropped. Who are the UK's worst serial killers? THE UK's most prolific serial killer was actually a doctor. Here's a rundown of the worst offenders in the UK. British GP Harold Shipman is one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history. He was found guilty of murdering 15 patients in 2000, but the Shipman Inquiry examined his crimes and identified 218 victims, 80 per cent of whom were elderly women. After his death Jonathan Balls was accused of poisoning at least 22 people between 1824 and 1845. Mary Ann Cotton is suspected of murdering up to 21 people, including husbands, lovers and children. She is Britain's most prolific female serial killer. Her crimes were committed between 1852 and 1872, and she was hanged in March 1873. Amelia Sach and Annie Walters became known as the Finchley Baby Farmers after killing at least 20 babies between 1900 and 1902. The pair became the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison on February 3, 1903. William Burke and William Hare killed 16 people and sold their bodies. Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was found guilty in 1981 of murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980. Dennis Nilsen was caged for life in 1983 after murdering up to 15 men when he picked them up from the streets. He was found guilty of six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in jail. Fred West was found guilty of killing 12 but it's believed he was responsible for many more deaths.
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I watched pitiful Soham killer Ian Huntley sob like a baby after going undercover in jail… how his arrogant mask slipped
David McGee reveals his chilling encounters with the 'slimy and manipulative' double child killer in our exclusive new true crime series TEARS OF A KILLER I watched pitiful Soham killer Ian Huntley sob like a baby after going undercover in jail… how his arrogant mask slipped WHITE as a ghost, overweight and sobbing uncontrollably, this was a side of Ian Huntley the cocky child killer never wanted anyone to see. And as David McGee wheeled the pitiful monster away in a golf buggy, he could barely believe the extraordinary chain of events that had led him to this moment. 11 Soham killer Ian Huntley was convicted of double murder in 2003 Credit: PA:Press Association 11 Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10, were murdered by the monster 11 Huntley's girlfriend Maxine Carr was convicted of perverting the course of justice Credit: Reuters 11 Huntley was held at Woodhill prison while awaiting trial Credit: The Times As part of a shocking investigation into the lax security of Britain's jails, the former investigative reporter had landed a job as an officer at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes in early 2003. At the time the all-male Category A jail in Buckinghamshire held 650 prisoners. It had housed hostage taker Charles Bronson, 'Hannibal the Cannibal' killer Robert Maudsley and murderer Michael Sams, who had eight years added to his four life terms after taking a probation officer hostage at Woodhill. And just two weeks into his new role, David found himself left in sole charge of one of Britain's most notorious killers. The previous year, former school caretaker Huntley had lured ten-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman to their brutal deaths at his home in Soham, Cambs. Languishing in a Woodhill prison cell awaiting his trial for double murder at the Old Bailey, the brute was on suicide watch and needed to be monitored round the clock. Incredibly, that duty fell to David, who grew to know Huntley's "arrogant" and "slimy" character first-hand over a number of intimate encounters. Now, as part of The Sun's new true crime series, Meeting a Monster, which sees those who have met the UK's most infamous criminals reveal their darkest secrets, the former journalist recalls their incredible meetings. One occasion still sticks vividly in his mind: when he was tasked with escorting the killer to a visit with his distraught parents, Kevin and Linda, which saw his egotistical mask well and truly slip. Having driven Huntley to and from the visitors' suite in a golf buggy, David recalls him sobbing hysterically after the dramatic reunion. Soham killer Ian Huntley makes chilling comment during interview with Maxine Carr which helps snare him in Channel 5 thriller Maxine He tells The Sun: '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.' Chilling first meeting Using his real name and passport, which clearly stated he was a journalist, David incredibly still landed the job at Woodhill and worked there undercover for four months. When asked for references, he named his wife and mother - but nobody bothered to check. After some rudimentary training, in the spring of 2003, he was able to smuggle in a digital camera - which he concealed inside a personal organiser. His role involved guarding prisoners and ferrying them to and from court. He had access to keys for handcuffs, cell doors and the escape hatch in prison vans - meaning he could have freed inmates, passed drugs or weapons to them or even attacked them. 11 Huntley and Carr joined the hunt for Holly and Jessica in a brazen bid to cover their tracks Credit: BBC 11 They were tried at the Old Bailey Credit: Sian Francis More than two decades later, David can still remember the moment he first came face-to-face with Huntley, known behind bars as Prisoner JG5778. Left alone with the Soham killer, David snapped a photograph of him slumped in his cell. They spent hours chatting together about football, running, and playing games of chess through the bars of his cell. 'I was shocked and amazed,' said David. 'I remember the day very clearly. I had just a fortnight's experience as a fully fledged warder and here I was doing one of the most vital jobs in the prison. 'When I first saw Huntley in the Health Care Centre where he was based my mouth went dry. 'I could see he was alone at the end of the corridor, his cell was at the end of a row of three and the others were kept empty. 'Huntley and his watcher were doing a crossword. I heard my colleague say a clue out loud: 'It's five letters and ends in stem.' Huntley was bawling his eyes out, the meeting had clearly been deeply traumatising for him David McGee 'I suggested 'brain' and it turned out to be right. I heard Huntley say from his cell: 'He's smart isn't he?' 'He seemed pale, overweight and had bags under his eyes. He was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, trousers and a pair of trainers. 'I said: 'Hello, how are you doing?' In a soft quiet voice he simply answered: 'All right.' 'We talked about soccer and when he rolled up a cigarette I cadged one off him, which is against prison rules. 'I was involved in a number of conversations with Huntley covering a wide variety of subjects." He adds: "We were close enough to share a chess board, our hands touched as we moved the pieces and I looked closely into his eyes. "That was chilling." 11 Huntley was quizzed by cops after Holly and Jessica went missing Credit: Mirrorpix 11 A police officer stands watch outside Huntley's home during a search Credit: Alamy Guarding Huntley was a popular duty at the jail as warders would get overtime, called Extra Gratuity Payments. Later, on May 7, David found himself guarding the killer alone again, this time for five hours. He said: 'Even though I was a raw rookie, I was on a rota to mind him after I was allowed to place my name on the overtime list of warders needed to man his round the clock suicide watch. "He asked me lots of questions and was actively engaged in conversation. I think he liked me and wanted me to like him. "He wanted to know about my partner, and said he preferred blonde women. He was deluded. I found him quite slimy and I'm sure he believed he would get away with his vile crimes "He was really interested in the fact that I had recently run the London marathon, and said he was very impressed with the time I finished it in. '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. 'He never mentioned anything about the crimes he was accused of. "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.' Prisoner perks Huntley's cell was painted pale yellow and was adorned with cards sent from his fiancée Maxine Carr - some pinned to a notice board and others carefully arranged on the windowsill. Each week he would buy two pouches of Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla cigarette papers, matches, Rich Tea biscuits and UHT milk. Outside the cell was a TV screen with a Playstation on top of it, and the wires to the handheld console were passed through the bars so Huntley could play video games. He was holed up next to the prison gym and would occasionally ask to use the rowing machine. 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. 'At that time, before his trial, he had not admitted his involvement in killing the girls or shown any remorse. "He was deluded. I found him quite slimy and I'm sure he believed he would get away with his vile crimes. 11 Huntley was on 24 hour suicide watch as he awaited trial Credit: PA:Press Association 11 The spot where the schoolgirls' bodies were found near Lakenheath, Suffolk 11 The boot of Huntley's red Ford Fiesta that he used to transport the bodies Credit: Reuters "He struck me as incredibly manipulative, and I could see how he would be able to intellectually dominate young children or someone he perceived to be intellectually inferior or impressionable - like his partner Maxine. Clearly she was not the brightest spark. 'All I could do was listen to him, and he was more than happy to talk to me. 'Of course I would have loved to ask him questions but I was not there for that, I was only there as a consequence of the poor security." When the photograph David had taken of Huntley in his cell was published, the scandal sparked a Home Office investigation into the shambolic security at the prison. Prison industry groups said underfunding and staff shortages could have led to the apparent security blunder. David faced two charges under the 1952 Prisons Act in relation to the digital camera he had used, which flouted a rule prohibiting the taking in of items to the prison without authorisation. But he was later cleared when Milton Keynes Magistrates Court dismissed the case against him and all charges were dropped.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
We live in shadow of psychiatric hospital housing UK's most dangerous killers – it's so creepy not even the birds sing
IN an eerie rural village walled in by beautiful country fields, spooked residents lock their doors at the first blare of warning sirens, while "not even the birds sing". That's because this creepy community exists in the dark shadow of one of the UK's most notorious - and troubled - high-security psychiatric hospitals, whose grim alumni include Charles Bronson, cannibal killer Peter Bryan, and Soham child murderer Ian Huntley. 15 Since in 1912, the village of Woodbeck in rural Nottinghamshire has existed cheek by jowl alongside Rampton mental health hospital - one of three such high-security institutions in the UK holding patients with dangerous, violent or criminal tendencies. Despairing residents - many of whom have worked in the facility themselves - claim their house prices are stuck in a rut thanks to the prospect of living doors down from deadly criminals. Others, in light of a recent damning watchdog report, reserve their biggest fears for the overworked staff at Rampton itself. One former nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Sun: "It's a dangerous s**thole. It's understaffed and morale is horrific." They added: "I would say a staff member is going to get killed." Around 400 patients, who have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, are currently housed at the site. Originally opened as an "overspill" for Broadmoor Asylum, it covers 190 acres and consists of 14 high-security main ward blocks and 14 secure "villas". One villager, who has lived there for 20 years, described the procedures in place for locals in case any of the inmates ever managed to escape. "If anyone got out, they'd be going somewhere," they eerily told a local paper. "There's a warning system and it'd be common sense to lock your doors if that ever happens." Fellow resident Julie Edwards added: "We get fire engines going by because of the nature of who's in there, but you just expect that of an evening." The Dull Truth About Serial Killers In recent years, Woodbeck has been voted the worst place in Nottinghamshire for community wellbeing. The lack of shops, buses or a school mean many residents feel "stuck" there, and they say it has become "more cut off" over the years as facilities have been stripped bare. 15 15 15 The average house price in Woodbeck is £150,000, far lower than the £269,000 seen across the UK. During The Sun's visit, one woman who was interested in purchasing a home there said she and her partner knew it faced the hospital, but had decided to take a look anyway, tempted by the price. However, the woman, who asked not to be named, said: 'It's the creepiest place I've ever been and I'm not coming back. "There's something really spooky about it and I don't feel comfortable here at all. "It's a good price and it's quite spacious but it feels quite surreal. I can't even hear the birds sing.' 15 15 Local mechanic Mark Smith told a local news outlet he fears that living so close to the secure hospital "does deduct the value of houses", and described how congested it can get with Rampton workers during the week. One resident explained the houses used to be all owned by the hospital itself, but are now privately owned or rented, with many staff buying them "on the cheap". Local Michael Warriner, meanwhile, said many people who move to the village to work at the hospital don't generally stay long. "It's just something to secure their CV and they don't really take pride in the area," he said. 'Anxious, isolated and unsafe' The hospital hit the headlines in May after a healthcare watchdog stated that the facility requires "urgent improvement,' following its rating of "inadequate" in January 2024. The Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS trust that runs it was being probed over the care of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane, the paranoid schizophrenic who fatally stabbed three people in 2023. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report said that between March 2024 and February 2025, staff submitted 777 incident forms where the reasons stated were "clinically unsafe staffing". The Sun spoke to a former nurse team leader who worked there for 11 years and still lives in Woodbeck, which was once filled with NHS workers. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed there is a culture of micromanagement and backstabbing, with staff severely undervalued and given little support. The former staff member claimed there were situations that had been "swept under the carpet", adding: "You have one qualified member of staff running back and forth between two or three wards." 15 15 Martyn Farrow, who worked as a Rampton nurse for 12 years and then as a security officer for 13 years, lives a stone's throw from the hospital's imposing double fence. The grandfather-of-seven, 69, says the hospital relies heavily on agencies, adding that staff play the system for an easier life. He said: 'There is no training like there used to be. When I first started working at Rampton, staff spent 18 months on a training course – now I'd be amazed if they did two days. 'There should never be one qualified person for two or three wards. "In the past, some wards had 34 patients and six specialist staff per ward. It's criminal mismanagement.' The hospital was rated "requires improvement" by government watchdogs following an unannounced inspection in March. While the CQC found some "clear improvements" had been made, it said the trust had work to do "to address staff shortages and support staff". Sometimes staff were found to be working alone at night, unable to take breaks, and reported feeling "anxious, isolated and unsafe". In January 2024 a coroner called for improvements at the hospital following the death of a patient who swallowed a crayon. 'Child killer called me mum' Villager Barry Woolley, 79, was a staff nurse at Rampton for 20 years and reminisced about the days when dances were held for patients and wards took part in football tournaments. He said: 'The patients came in and were told what they were doing, and a lot of the staff came from the forces. I think society is different now.' Valerie Farrow was a nursing assistant in women's services at Rampton with her husband Martyn, where she came to know Beverley Allitt, a former nurse who killed four babies and attempted to kill three others at a hospital in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in the 1990s. The 77-year-old said: 'If I hadn't known what she'd done, I'd never have known. She was always all right with me. "We'd talk about all sorts, nothing to do with her crimes. If they ever wanted to tell me what they had done, I'd listen, but I never asked. "You have to put it all to the back of your mind.' Who are the UK's worst serial killers? THE UK's most prolific serial killer was actually a doctor. Here's a rundown of the worst offenders in the UK. British GP Harold Shipman is one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history. He was found guilty of murdering 15 patients in 2000, but the Shipman Inquiry examined his crimes and identified 218 victims, 80 per cent of whom were elderly women. After his death Jonathan Balls was accused of poisoning at least 22 people between 1824 and 1845. Mary Ann Cotton is suspected of murdering up to 21 people, including husbands, lovers and children. She is Britain's most prolific female serial killer. Her crimes were committed between 1852 and 1872, and she was hanged in March 1873. Amelia Sach and Annie Walters became known as the Finchley Baby Farmers after killing at least 20 babies between 1900 and 1902. The pair became the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison on February 3, 1903. William Burke and William Hare killed 16 people and sold their bodies. Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was found guilty in 1981 of murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980. Dennis Nilsen was caged for life in 1983 after murdering up to 15 men when he picked them up from the streets. He was found guilty of six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in jail. Fred West was found guilty of killing 12 but it's believed he was responsible for many more deaths. Valerie grew so acquainted with Carol Barratt, who murdered an 11-year-old schoolgirl at a shopping centre in Doncaster in 1991, that the killer called her "mother" and invited her to her wedding. 'A few got married in Rampton,' she said. 'I enjoyed the work. I felt I was doing something to help, it gave me a sense of purpose.' Now, as troubling questions continue to be asked about the facility, residents of sleepy Woodbeck are being left with much darker memories. Becky Sutton, Chief Operating Officer at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, told The sun: "Our colleagues are dedicated to delivering excellent care, often in challenging circumstances. "We actively listen to feedback from them, working in partnership to make improvements to support our colleagues and our patients, enhance safety and build a stronger learning culture. "We know there is more to do, and we're focused on working closely with colleagues to make further improvements so we can meet the standards our patients and colleagues deserve." 15 15
