St Albans, United Kingdom – Carl Langdell, convicted for the sexual assault and murder of teacher Katie Locke on their first date, has made headlines once again. A prison guard, who remained unnamed, recently received a substantial settlement after being brutally attacked by Langdell during his incarceration at HMP Bedford. The assault, which lasted four minutes, left the guard with severe injuries, including a shattered eye socket and nearly a broken neck.
The confrontation occurred when the officer refused to unlock Langdell’s cell for a smoke, prompting Langdell to launch a violent attack. Following an arduous eight-year wait, the guard was compensated with a £601,000 settlement, reflecting the physical and psychological trauma he endured. In response to the incident, a prison service spokesperson emphasized the importance of staff protection and outlined safety improvements, such as providing officers with PAVA spray and body-worn cameras.
Known as the ‘Plenty of Fish killer’ due to the dating app through which he met his victim, Langdell’s violent tendencies were previously revealed to NHS staff, where he expressed homicidal inclinations and identified himself as a psychopath. Subsequently, Langdell was transferred to maximum-security Wakefield Prison, where he tragically took his own life in 2021. An inquest later uncovered deficiencies in the handling of Langdell’s case by various public bodies, including Herts police and Herts Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
The inquest revealed that Langdell had been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder with narcissistic and antisocial traits, underscoring missed opportunities for intervention that could have averted Katie Locke’s tragic fate. Despite the public outcry over the failings identified in the case, the repercussions of Langdell’s actions continue to reverberate among those affected by the senseless loss of a promising young life.