Robert Maudsley, Britain's 'most dangerous prisoner,' has spent decades in near-total isolation inside a bulletproof glass box for up to 23 hours a day after killing fellow inmates in jail. He has openly admitted he would kill again if he ever got the chance.
Decades Behind Bars
Maudsley has been behind bars since 1974 and is classed as one of the country's most extreme security risks. He is a prolific in-prison serial killer whose victims were fellow inmates, not members of staff. Unlike most serial killers, three of his four killings happened while he was already locked up, convincing prison bosses he remains an active threat to anyone around him.
His first murder came in London in 1974, when he garrotted John Farrell after Farrell showed him photos of children he had abused. Maudsley was declared unfit to stand trial and was sent away with a recommendation he should never be released. He was placed in Broadmoor Hospital, home to some of Britain's most dangerous criminals.
Killings in Custody
In 1977, while in the psychiatric unit, Maudsley and another patient, David Cheeseman, barricaded themselves in a room with convicted child molester David Francis. Over a nine-hour ordeal they tortured and strangled Francis to death, before dangling the body for guards to see. Maudsley was charged with manslaughter and moved to HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire, where he killed again.
In 1978, in a single afternoon, he strangled Salney Darwood, jailed for killing his wife, and hid his body under a bed. He then slipped into the cell of William Roberts, imprisoned for abusing a young girl, and hacked him to death with a makeshift weapon.
The Glass Cage
That double killing triggered an unprecedented response. In 1983, a custom-built, bulletproof glass-and-concrete cell was constructed for him in the basement of HMP Wakefield - a 'glass cage' often compared to Hannibal Lecter's enclosure in The Silence of the Lambs, the Manchester Evening News reported. The box measured about 5.5m by 4.5m and contained a concrete slab bed, a toilet and sink, plus a table and chair made from compressed cardboard, the Liverpool Echo has reported. He has spent roughly 17,500 consecutive days in solitary confinement.
This is believed to be the longest stretch in British history, with near-zero physical contact. When he leaves his cell for exercise, he is escorted by at least four guards. He must also slide his feet through a small slit at the bottom of the door to have his toenails trimmed. His isolation has been criticised as potentially harming his mental health and raising human-rights concerns.
Recent Statements
In the 1990s, during a spell at Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, he was assessed by psychiatrist Dr Bob Johnson, who believed he was making progress. However, the sessions were abruptly ended and Maudsley was returned to Wakefield. Dr Johnson later received a stark three-word note from him: 'All alone now'.
In 2000, Maudsley begged the courts to let him die, writing: 'What purpose is served by keeping me locked up 23 hours a day? Who actually am I a risk to?' In a rare interview from prison this month, Maudsley was blunt about that risk. 'I have to be honest and say that if I had the opportunity to harm a sex offender then I would do so,' he said. 'If I met someone who had sexually abused me, I would do my best to kill them.'
Now held on 'E' Wing at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire after a transfer in April 2025, he said the denial of visits has deepened his isolation, claiming he is locked up for around 22 and a half hours a day, with about 75 minutes for exercise and a shower. He said he starts mornings with 'Magic Classical', naming Schubert's Ave Maria, and watches TV to keep his mind 'occupied' - including Gogglebox, The Chase, Pointless and Countdown.
Despite talk of early release for some prisoners, Maudsley insisted he should never walk free. 'I want to spend the rest of my life behind bars to pay for what I have done,' he said. And after half a century locked away, he said it's the smallest sensations he misses most - the seasons, the sun on his skin, and 'the wind when it blows through my window at night'.
