Charles Bronson, Britain’s most notorious prisoner, is currently appealing to the Parole Board in his latest bid for freedom after spending most of the past 48 years behind bars. The independent psychologist employed by Bronson’s legal team told the hearing that the 70-year-old has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some “brutal and unacceptable” treatment in prison.
Bronson was first jailed in 1974 for armed robbery. However, a string of violent offences committed while in custody means he has spent most of the past decade behind bars. He was handed a discretionary life sentence in 2000 for taking Phil Danielson, a prison art teacher, hostage with a makeshift spear in a siege that lasted two days.
The psychologist said that Bronson, who has since changed his surname to Salvador, has been held in “very solitary conditions for a long period of time” and that a move from the close supervision unit where he is held is “long overdue”. She added that his past violence towards prison staff was fuelled by a dislike of authority figures, but this does not extend to members of the public.
Bronson’s legal team has also highlighted the practical issues he will face if released. He has never used a cash machine and will need practical support to reintegrate into society. His 95-year-old mother, whom he calls “the duchess”, is also in favour of his release and has said it is her wish to see him outside.
Bronson is being held in the close supervision centre at Woodhill Prison, near Milton Keynes. He is locked in his cell for 23 hours a day and only mixes with three other inmates. Three parole judges – who have not been publicly named – are considering his case at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watch the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice, in central London.
It is only the second such hearing in British history to be open to the press and public. Bronson’s legal team and supporters remain hopeful that the Parole Board will recognise the progress he has made in prison and grant him parole. The decision is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
