Inmate Andrew Light Stabs Child Killer Roy Whiting in Wakefield Prison

Roy Whiting, serving a life sentence for the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne, was attacked and stabbed multiple times with a homemade wooden shank by fellow inmate Andrew Light at HMP Wakefield. The attack occurred in February 2024, with Light reportedly saying "that was for Sarah Payne" during the assault. Prison officer Alex Dyson was the first to respond, finding Light holding Whiting tightly and stabbing him repeatedly in the stomach, while Whiting tried to escape and later hid under his bed after sustaining heavy bleeding and injuries to his head and neck. Whiting testified in court that he did not know Light personally and was caught off guard by the violent attack. Light has pleaded guilty to assault and possessing a weapon but denies attempted murder; the prosecution argues the attack was intended to kill or cause serious harm. Despite the heinous nature of Whiting's original crime, the court recognized him as a victim of the assault within the prison context.