Duncan Heaton, a convicted killer, had tried to murder two sex offenders in different top-security prisons. The court considered him an exceptionally dangerous man and ruled against his request for a whole-life sentence.
A convicted killer who begged to die behind bars after trying to murder two sex offenders in different top security prisons has been told he is an ‘exceptionally dangerous man’ - but will still be allowed to apply for parole in his 70s.
Duncan Heaton, 53, was already serving life for stabbing a man to death when he launched two premeditated attacks on paedophile inmates at two maximum-security prisons. At HMP Full Sutton, Heaton targeted Andong Abong Ashu, 56, an NHS scientist who had been granted asylum in Britain before being jailed for raping a young girl during sham medical examinations.
After being transferred to HMP Wakefield, he then attacked David Minto, who was jailed for the sexually-motivated murder of a teenage girl he stabbed 58 times and set on fire in Blackpool. Heaton, who is from Hull, urged a judge at Leeds Crown Court to hand him a whole-life sentence - meaning he would spend the rest of his life behind bars without the prospect of parole.
His barrister David Godfrey told the court that Heaton ‘does not feel he can contribute to society’ and would prefer to spend the rest of his life detained in a prison segregation unit. But despite Heaton pleading for a whole-life order, judge Mr Justice Cotter refused to impose the most severe sentence available, ruling that even his ‘extremely serious’ crimes did not justify removing all hope of release.
Heaton, who appeared in court wearing a black Adidas t-shirt, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years on top of his existing 21 year minimum term. Duncan Heaton, 53, begged to spend the rest of his life behind bars after he tried to murder tow sex offender inmates at different maximum security prisons The ruling means Heaton could become eligible for parole aged 74.
Mr Justice Cotter said the ‘premeditated’ murder attempts were ‘motivated by the fact’ that his victims were sex offenders. He told Heaton: ‘You appear to have some warped and misconceived belief in your moral superiority over some of the prisoners.
‘You are an exceptionally dangerous man and I’ve little doubt that you consider attacking another prisoner who’d been convicted of sexual offences in the future if the opportunity arose. ‘No one involved in dealing with you in prison should have any doubt about that. ‘You’ve expressed a desire to remain in custody for the rest of your life.
You believe that you are dangerous however it’s not for you to choose your sentence or proper for me to pass the most severe penalty this court can impose when it is not justified.
‘Although your sentences are extremely serious they do not warrant a whole life term leaving no hope of release. ‘Although you may not see it at present there is a chance that over the very long period that you will now serve you may change and become less dangerous.
’ Heaton attacked David Minto with makeshift weapons after he was transferred to HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire Heaton was previously jailed for life for the murder of Keith Opray, 51, who was repeatedly stabbed to death in his home in Hull, East Yorkshire, in 2014. Mr Opray suffered 43 stab wounds to the head, neck and body when he was attacked by Heaton, who was a heroin addict.
While at HMP Full Sutton, Heaton took a 10-inch knife he was chopping salad with from a prison workshop and attempted to stab Ashu, 56, in the heart on May 10, 2024. He then ‘calmly’ told a prison officer: ‘I wanted to f***ing kill him’. At Full Sutton, Heaton was classed as a low-risk prisoner and was trusted with knives in the kitchen.
Ashu was jailed for 21 years in 2016 after a jury convicted him of four counts of rape and seven other sexual assaults against a girl in Hull, East Yorkshire. The Cameroon national had arrived in the UK in 2002 and was later granted asylum. He went on to obtain a university degree and secured work in NHS laboratories.
After being transferred to HMP Wakefield, Heaton attacked Minto with makeshift weapons on October 24 last year before surrendering to prison officers and stating: ‘I’ve done the Blackpool nonce’. Heaton planned the attack in the West Yorkshire prison for two weeks and used three sharp weapons made from plastic and wood.
Minto, now 36, was jailed for life with a minimum of 35 years in 2013 after luring Sasha Marsden, 16, to her death on the false promise of a job in his girlfriend’s hotel. He sexually assaulted the teenager before repeatedly stabbing her to death, before setting her body on fire.
Mr Justice Cotter told Heaton: ‘If you’d not attacked him you said you would have attacked one of two other sex offenders that you named, stating you guys keep putting us up with f***ing paedophiles.
‘You were also to explain when you were interviewed under caution that you’d been planning the attack for two weeks and that you’d been interrupted but believed that Mr Minto was dead and had you realised that he was not you would have returned and killed him. ’ Heaton is currently confined to a segregation unit known as close supervision centre and is only permitted to leave his cell to shower once a day, accompanied by four prison officers.
Duncan Heaton Hull Attempted To Murder Sex Offenders Maximum Security Prisons NHS Scientist Paedophile Inmate UK Rape
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