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| Mark Bridger attacked in prison | Mark Bridger attacked in prison |
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| Mark Bridger, the former abattoir worker jailed for the sexually motivated murder of five-year-old April Jones, has been attacked in prison. | Mark Bridger, the former abattoir worker jailed for the sexually motivated murder of five-year-old April Jones, has been attacked in prison. |
| Bridger is serving a full-life term at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire. He is understood to have been slashed across the face with a makeshift blade and is likely to be left permanently scarred. | Bridger is serving a full-life term at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire. He is understood to have been slashed across the face with a makeshift blade and is likely to be left permanently scarred. |
| The Ministry of Justice refuses to talk about specific prisoners but in a statement it confirmed: "A prisoner from HMP Wakefield was taken to hospital on 7 July. The incident is being investigated by the police." | The Ministry of Justice refuses to talk about specific prisoners but in a statement it confirmed: "A prisoner from HMP Wakefield was taken to hospital on 7 July. The incident is being investigated by the police." |
| Wakefield, originally built as a "correction house" in the 16th century, is a high-security prison and is home to some of Britain's most notorious sex offenders including the child killers Roy Whiting, Robert Black and Levi Bellfield. | |
| Bridger, 46, was convicted of abducting April as she played on her bicycle with a friend in the mid-Wales town of Machynlleth and murdering her. He was also found guilty of destroying, disposing of or concealing her remains, which have not been found. | Bridger, 46, was convicted of abducting April as she played on her bicycle with a friend in the mid-Wales town of Machynlleth and murdering her. He was also found guilty of destroying, disposing of or concealing her remains, which have not been found. |
| During his trial, Bridger was held on remand at HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, where he was kept in isolation and under constant surveillance for fear he would be attacked or harm himself. | |
| After his conviction in May at Mold crown court in north Wales, Bridger was moved to Wakefield, sometimes dubbed the "Monster Mansion" because of the number of dangerous inmates it houses. | After his conviction in May at Mold crown court in north Wales, Bridger was moved to Wakefield, sometimes dubbed the "Monster Mansion" because of the number of dangerous inmates it houses. |
| At the time prison sources acknowledged that his life would be under constant threat in prison. They said there was no known bounty on his head but fellow inmates would want to harm Bridger simply for the kudos of being the one to get to the UK's most reviled men. | At the time prison sources acknowledged that his life would be under constant threat in prison. They said there was no known bounty on his head but fellow inmates would want to harm Bridger simply for the kudos of being the one to get to the UK's most reviled men. |
| Wakefield's F wing features a "prison within a prison"– the close supervision centre where about half a dozen of Britain's most challenging inmates are held. It also houses a segregation area for men like Bridger who need protection from other prisoners. | Wakefield's F wing features a "prison within a prison"– the close supervision centre where about half a dozen of Britain's most challenging inmates are held. It also houses a segregation area for men like Bridger who need protection from other prisoners. |
| An inspection last year found the environment in F Wing was poor. The report from the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, said processes for managing bullying were also poor but incidents were rare. | |
| He added that the jail was "reasonably safe" and concluded: "The numbers of self-harm, bullying and use of force incidents were low. Most prisoners reported feeling safe." | He added that the jail was "reasonably safe" and concluded: "The numbers of self-harm, bullying and use of force incidents were low. Most prisoners reported feeling safe." |
| Hardwick's report (pdf) did raise the issue about the number of men convicted of very serious sexual attacks who were "in denial" about their offences. "The prison service should consider whether it is right to place such a concentration of men in denial in one establishment," its said. | Hardwick's report (pdf) did raise the issue about the number of men convicted of very serious sexual attacks who were "in denial" about their offences. "The prison service should consider whether it is right to place such a concentration of men in denial in one establishment," its said. |
| This is not the first time a high-profile child killer has been attacked in Wakefield. Former inmate Ian Huntley, who killed schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, had a bucket of boiling water thrown over him in 2005. He was moved to HMP Frankland in January 2008, where his throat was slashed by another inmate in 2010. | This is not the first time a high-profile child killer has been attacked in Wakefield. Former inmate Ian Huntley, who killed schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, had a bucket of boiling water thrown over him in 2005. He was moved to HMP Frankland in January 2008, where his throat was slashed by another inmate in 2010. |
| Coincidentally, images of Holly and Jessica – together with other murder victims – were found on Bridger's laptop when he was arrested. Dyfed-Powys police liaised with the detective who led the Soham investigation during their inquiry into Bridger. | Coincidentally, images of Holly and Jessica – together with other murder victims – were found on Bridger's laptop when he was arrested. Dyfed-Powys police liaised with the detective who led the Soham investigation during their inquiry into Bridger. |
| The attack on Bridger will once again focus attention on the safety of notorious prisoners. Earlier this year following the alleged murder of the child killer Subhan Anwar at the high-security Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire, the prison officers' union, the POA, said violent attacks were on the increase and blamed closures, cuts and redundancies for the rise. | |
| The union claimed that there was an average of 43 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults a day and eight assaults a day on prison officers. | The union claimed that there was an average of 43 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults a day and eight assaults a day on prison officers. |
| Bridger, who lived in a cottage called Mount Pleasant a few miles from Machynlleth, was given a whole life sentence after a jury took four hours to find him guilty. | Bridger, who lived in a cottage called Mount Pleasant a few miles from Machynlleth, was given a whole life sentence after a jury took four hours to find him guilty. |
| It emerged during the month-long trial that he had a collection of images of girls being abused and had collated pictures of April and her sisters from Facebook. | It emerged during the month-long trial that he had a collection of images of girls being abused and had collated pictures of April and her sisters from Facebook. |
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