Taxpayers will foot the £2,000 bill for the funeral of Ian Huntley, the infamous Soham murderer, who passed away after an alleged assault at HMP Frankland in February. Huntley, a convicted child killer, was cremated in an environmentally friendly “natural coffin” worth £265, in a service devoid of mourners, all funded by British taxpayers.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) covered nearly £2,000 for Huntley’s funeral arrangements following his demise in the hospital post a reported attack with a metal bar at the high-security prison where he was serving a life sentence for the brutal murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002.
According to reports by the Independent, the MoJ disclosed that they spent £1,915 on Huntley’s cremation. The expenses included £625 for professional services, £275 for body transportation, £65 for a cremation casket, and £265 for the eco-friendly “jute natural coffin.” Additionally, £100 was allocated for staff attendance and supervision.
A petition, gathering 64,000 signatures, was launched to protest the use of taxpayer money for Huntley’s funeral expenses. However, the MoJ clarified that they cover basic funeral costs for prisoners, providing up to £3,000 directly to the funeral director, excluding expenses for wakes, headstones, or burial plots.
The biodegradable jute natural coffin used for Huntley’s burial was chosen for its minimal environmental impact and cost-effectiveness. His ashes will be handed over to his mother, Lynda Richards, as his next of kin, after reportedly spending his final moments in a vegetative state following the termination of life support.
Huntley, a former school caretaker, committed the heinous crimes against Holly and Jessica in 2002 in Soham, Cambridgeshire, where he later disposed of their bodies in a ditch. Despite his claims of innocence, he was convicted in a 2003 trial at the Old Bailey and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years.
Inmate Anthony Russell, aged 43, has been charged with Huntley’s murder.