Prisoner who tried to murder other inmates at Yorkshire prisons wants whole life order, judge told
Duncan Heaton, 53, appeared by video link at Leeds Crown Court earlier
A convicted murderer wants to spend the rest of his life in prison after admitting trying to kill two another inmates in different top security prisons, a judge has been told.
Duncan Heaton, 53, appeared by video link at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday where he admitted attempting to murder David Minto at HMP Wakefield in October last year.
Last month, Heaton appeared at Hull Crown Court where he admitted attempting to murder Andong Abong Ashu at HMP Full Sutton, which is near York.
That attack happened in May 2024.
After entering his guilty plea on Thursday, Heaton’s barrister, David Godfrey, told the court his client wanted his sentence to be “as long as possible – a whole life order”.
Mr Godfrey said: “He feels anxious about any other form of sentence.”
The barrister told the court there was no need for a psychiatric or any other form of report to be prepared before Heaton can be sentenced.
He said his client is currently held apart from other prisoners at Wakefield due to the risk he poses, and has seen only prison staff for months.
Judge Tom Bayliss KC told Heaton, who appeared on a screen from prison, he will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on May 6.
Judge Bayliss said: “It’s going to be a life sentence. The issue will be the term of that sentence.”
He said: “The case speaks for itself in terms of (the defendant’s) risk.”
Heaton, from Hull, is already serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years and six months for the murder of Keith Opray in the city in 2014.
According to reports of his sentencing at Hull Crown Court, disabled Mr Opray suffered 43 stab wounds to his head, neck and body when he was attacked by the defendant, who was a heroin addict.