One of the most diabolical pedophiles and child murderers was given a life sentence for the gruesome kidnapping and murder of a little girl. However, it wasn’t long into his sentence that his fellow inmates discovered his heinous crimes and decided to dispense justice themselves.
While playing hide-and-seek in a field with her older brothers and younger sister, 8-year-old Sarah Payne was only out of their sight for less than a minute when she vanished into thin air. The child had been snatched up by repeat sexual offender Roy Whiting as the children made their way to their grandparents’ nearby home in Kingston Gorse, England. Tragically, her body was later found in another field 15 miles away in West Sussex.
Whiting was arrested and charged with Sarah’s murder soon after her body was discovered in July 2000. He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years for the kidnapping and murder of the little girl. Unfortunately for him, the length of his sentence would be the least of his worries.
According to Metro, 61-year-old Whiting was nearly killed by two inmates who wanted to take revenge on the man they have dubbed the “pedophile and baby killer.” Richard Predergast, 40, and Kevin Hyden, 40, confessed at Leeds Crown Court to wounding with intent to kill Whiting, earning them additional prison time of 7-and-a-half years.
Records show that the inmates followed Whiting into a cell and began beating him until he fell to the ground, where they continued to kick him in the head. They then brandished makeshift blades and repeatedly stabbed Whiting, who desperately tried to crawl to safety before prison guards and a nurse came in to save him, The Sun reports.
Whiting said he was sat in his cell in his prison-issue clothing when “two inmates came rushing into my cell with raised arms shouting ‘you fucking nonce.'” He added, “The two immediately began to stab and punch me to my head and body.” One attacker was apparently shouting “stab him, stab him, get him in the neck.”
Whiting wasn’t breathing when medics found him, prompting them to insert a tube into his airway. The nurse has since stated that he would be dead if she hadn’t gotten to him when she did.
Whiting said, “I couldn’t feel the pain due to my adrenalin. After about three seconds I fell to the floor. I was then on the floor trying to defend myself. I was trying to kick out with my legs to defend myself.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time Whiting has been nearly killed while in prison. The convicted murderer has been the subject of several targeted attacks launched by fellow inmates hostile to the nature of his crimes. In 2011, convicted murderer Gary Vinter stabbed Whiting twice in the eye at the same prison, calling him a “dirty little nonce,” which is British slang for a pedophile.
Whiting said in a statement following the attack, “I have a couple of friends who I talk to but I do also get quite a lot of verbal abuse. They call be names such as nonce, rapist, child killer, I do try to ignore the comments as I have got so used to them now.”
Whiting was also attacked in 2002 by murderer Rickie Tregaskis, who sliced open his cheek with a razor blade. He was again attacked in 2017 by an unnamed prisoner who beat him with a flask.
Whiting has since recovered from his injuries and returned to Wakefield prison, which has earned the nickname “Monster Mansion” for housing notoriously violent criminals. Still, he is only halfway into the minimum prison sentence.
Sarah’s family still struggles with losing the little girl in such a violent and sudden manner. However, they have found some solace in knowing that her killer has been caught and is having such a difficult time in prison.
Chances are that Whiting won’t survive another violent attack from his fellow inmates. However, even if he did, it’s just as unlikely that he will live long enough to be released at his earliest opportunity for parole.
