Today Ian Huntley, killer of Holly Wells and Jessica Wells, had his life support machine switched off. A day to celebrate and wish good riddance.

I don't celebrate anyone's death .

I would have preferred for him to stay alive and suffer

16 minutes ago, Geoff914 said:

Today Ian Huntley, killer of Holly Wells and Jessica Wells, had his life support machine switched off. A day to celebrate and wish good riddance.

It’s not a day to celebrate though, is it?

No one is going to shed a tear over the loss of this monster. But the attacks on him before Christmas - which left him blinded - and the recent assault that effectively split his head open and killed him highlight a serious problem within the HM Prison system.

Prison is meant to be the place where justice is carried out, not where vengeance is outsourced. When the state takes custody of someone, it also assumes responsibility for their safety - no matter how despicable their crimes may be.

This is not about sympathy for Huntley; there simply is none. He earned the hatred directed at him. But a civilised system does not measure itself by how it treats the innocent - it is measured by how it upholds order and the rule of law even when dealing with the worst among us. If prisoners can be repeatedly attacked, blinded, and ultimately killed inside facilities that are supposed to be secure, then the real question is not about the man who died, but about the system that failed to maintain control.

Perhaps its just better to bring back the death penalty for such heinous crimes that are proven beyond doubt - then, his killer, a triple murderer himself would also have been dispatched by a the legal system and the tax payer wouldn't be left with the costs of life behind bars without parole.

56 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

I don't celebrate anyone's death .

I would have preferred for him to stay alive and suffer

Yes on another web site a few people have said he should have been made to suffer. But it has never the less happened. He was attacked once before but it wasn't fatal. What did he expect was going to happen in prison. I am surprised he lasted this long.

58 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

It’s not a day to celebrate though, is it?

Perhaps its just better to bring back the death penalty for such heinous crimes that are proven beyond doubt - then, his killer, a triple murderer himself would also have been dispatched by a the legal system and the tax payer wouldn't be left with the costs of life behind bars without parole.

Well quite clearly he was a marked man. Short of having him in his own prison with no other cons then sooner or later somebody was going to get him. I am sure it was no fun for the warders baby sitting Huntley all the times. I don't know if Huntley was entitled to solitary confinement. I can't expect absolute protection from pipe wielding maniacs out on the street. May be the next time somebody decides to kill two young girls he should give some thought to the consequences.

1 minute ago, Geoff914 said:

Well quite clearly he was a marked man. Short of having him in his own prison with no other cons then sooner or later somebody was going to get him. I am sure it was no fun for the warders baby sitting Huntley all the times. I don't know if Huntley was entitled to solitary confinement. I can't expect absolute protection from pipe wielding maniacs out on the street. May be the next time somebody decides to kill two young girls he should give some thought to the consequences.

Hence my comment about the death penalty in such circumstances - then there wouldn't be the need to go to the expense and efforts to protect someone who is never going to be rehabilitated from someone who has nothing to lose and is never going to be rehabilitated.

It's it inhumane to remove someone who has proven themselves to be subhuman from humanity ???

As I see it the only solid argument against the death penalty (and fairly so, its a very strong argument) - is the risk of the innocent being charged with death - but, I'd argue a higher standard of 'beyond any reasonable doubt' is required and in this circumstance, both Huntley and his murderer were both murderers beyond any reasonable doubt.

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Hence my comment about the death penalty in such circumstances - then there wouldn't be the need to go to the expense and efforts to protect someone who is never going to be rehabilitated from someone who has nothing to lose and is never going to be rehabilitated.

It's it inhumane to remove someone who has proven themselves to be subhuman from humanity ???

Well yes but then the next time there is a another Timothy Evans miscarriage, 10 Rillington Place infamy. To be honest I don't know what the answer is. May be just not commit the crime in the first place. There is no way he could have been protected for life. I guess it was only Ian Brady living in solitary confinement that prevented him being done over. I assume Huntley could have done the same.

5 minutes ago, Geoff914 said:

Well yes but then the next time there is a another Timothy Evans miscarriage, 10 Rillington Place infamy. To be honest I don't know what the answer is. May be just not commit the crime in the first place. There is no way he could have been protected for life. I guess it was only Ian Brady living in solitary confinement that prevented him being done over. I assume Huntley could have done the same.

Indeed - but that famous miscarriage was in the 1940's.

The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 - well the day says it; was introduced in 1965 and Evans, exectued in 1953 posthumously pardoned in 1966.

A similar miscarriage of justice is far less likely today because modern forensics - especially DNA testing, improved pathology and trace evidence which can all identify the real killer far more accurately, while police interviews are recorded, suspects have the right to a lawyer, and courts require much stronger evidence before someone can be convicted of murder.

But your point is a strong one - as I said earlier, the main argument against the death penalty is the risk of an innocent person being executed. However, with today’s technology and far more robust legal safeguards, including DNA evidence, recorded interviews and stricter evidential standards, the level of proof required can realistically move from simply “beyond reasonable doubt” to something much closer to "beyond any doubt".

Yet if you are responsible for killing thousands of people including children some people think thats perfectly acceptable and even applaud them.

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Indeed - but that famous miscarriage was in the 1940's.

The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 - well the day says it; was introduced in 1965 and Evans, exectued in 1953 posthumously pardoned in 1966.

A similar miscarriage of justice is far less likely today because modern forensics - especially DNA testing, improved pathology and trace evidence which can all identify the real killer far more accurately, while police interviews are recorded, suspects have the right to a lawyer, and courts require much stronger evidence before someone can be convicted of murder.

But your point is a strong one - as I said earlier, the main argument against the death penalty is the risk of an innocent person being executed. However, with today’s technology and far more robust legal safeguards, including DNA evidence, recorded interviews and stricter evidential standards, the level of proof required can realistically move from simply “beyond reasonable doubt” to something much closer to "beyond any doubt".

1950 actually. Posthumously pardoned, so that is alright then. Similar miscarriages are "far less likely". So you agree they will continue to happen. Andrew Malkinson 17 years in prison. There are just too many miscarriages. I can't image being in prison for 17 years know I was innocent. Despite DNA there are far too many miscarriages and no they want to do away with jury trials. There is no question that in days gone by there was a fit them up culture in the police and the courts. But it still in a few cases is still going on it would seem. Then we have the greatest miscarriage of all the Post Office Horizon scandal.

I don't what the answer is. That is one for the legal profession to sort out.

Two girls were brutally murdered. The murderer is now dead. That doesn't bring the girls back.

There's nothing to celebrate

6 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Two girls were brutally murdered. The murderer is now dead. That doesn't bring the girls back.

There's nothing to celebrate

Well said. Celebrating such events is sick.

3 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

There's nothing to celebrate

There would be if the same happened to Axel Rudakubana.

5 hours ago, Geoff914 said:

There would be if the same happened to Axel Rudakubana.

For the same reasons, his death would not be a reason for celebration.

3 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

For the same reasons, his death would not be a reason for celebration.

I bet there is a lot of celebrating going on in the USA and Israel right now. You do know who Axel Rudakubana is?

40 minutes ago, Geoff914 said:

I bet there is a lot of celebrating going on in the USA and Israel right now. You do know who Axel Rudakubana is?

Yes, I am aware of who Axel is.

I doubt many in USA or Isreal are celebrating.

His head was split in 2 by a steel bar

46 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

His head was split in 2 by a steel bar

If I was a parent of one of those two lovely and innocent girls, I would be celebrating the death of this monster. I would, especially, enjoy the news that he suffered terribly in his dying years.

Even if he had some hard times in prison, he still had a few moments of human interaction - a few laughs and jokes with the other inmates - a glimpse of a blue sky - a walk around an exercise yard - something that his victims will never have.

12 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

His head was split in 2 by a steel bar

The alleged perpetrator, Anthony Russell, had apparently been incarcerated under a whole life order for the brutal murders of 3 individuals (and for the rape of 1 of them who, incidentally, was 18 weeks' pregnant) back in 2020:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Russell_(murderer)

Doubt very much whether any surviving family members of Russell's victims will be in a celebratory mood: on the contrary, his alleged latest deed might well have re-opened sore wounds in their cases.

https://apple.news/AaBA3KXkdSuCqQmCel9Y2hg

Killer in court for murder

14 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

On 3/9/2026 at 4:02 PM, 3NUMBAS said:

His head was split in 2 by a steel bar

Some poetic licence there I think. If his head had been split in two he would have lasted 2 seconds.