Huntley's mother says he should face death penalty

The mother of Soham murderer Ian Huntley has said that she wants to see him hanged for his crimes, according to this morning's edition of The Sun newspaper.

Huntley, who has been sentenced two life sentences for the August 2002 murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, is currently being assessed by doctors as to whether he should be incarcerated in a prison or sent to a mental hospital.

Forty-nine-year-old Lynda Nixon told The Sun she believed that "Ian should not live after what he's done".

She added: "He's my baby boy and I love him but he deserves to be punished. He deserves to be strung up for he's done… There is a price he should pay – and the death penalty in that price."

Lynda Nixon said that she was not aware that her son had been linked to a number of alleged sex crimes in North East between 1995 and 1999. When police confirmed that Huntley had been investigated on 10 occasions for a range of sex crimes, including three counts of sex with a minor and three counts of rape, Lynda told The Sun that it was "like a bolt from the blue".

Lynda is now divorced from Huntley's father, Kevin, but both had to go into hiding after the arrest. Kevin said that he had to change his name and quit his job because the attention the case drew.

"Our lives have been ripped apart," said Kevin.

Ian Huntley, 29, was convicted of both murders at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. His former girlfriend Maxine Carr, 26, was convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. She was found not guilty on two counts of assisting an offender.

(gmcg)