A former governor of HMP Wakefield has spoken about a chilling conversation with a prisoner who told him he could kill him without facing any consequences, as Russell Brand is reportedly set to be transferred to the jail.
Tom Wheatley, who served as governor of the Category A prison in West Yorkshire from 2018 until 2024, made the remarks on The Secret Life of Prisons podcast. He is now President of the Prison Governors Association.
Inmate's chilling warning
Wheatley recalled a debate with a prisoner serving a natural life sentence who was living in a close supervision centre. During the exchange, the inmate said: "You do realise, Tom, if I killed you now, nothing would happen to me?"
Wheatley laughed, saying there was not much else to do in those circumstances, and replied: "But you are not going to do that." The inmate responded: "No I am not going to do that because I quite like you." Wheatley added: "But that was his reality and that was true."
Life inside Wakefield
Wheatley said Wakefield housed a range of individuals with differing outlooks, all confined in one place where the atmosphere is "inherently stressful". He added: "In some ways, it is a real testament to the forbearance of people in prison and the skill of staff and others who are around people in prison that this doesn't happen more regularly."
He also revealed that half of the prison's 750 inmates have "given up on a prospect of a life after prison". For those serving long sentences, the outside world can gradually lose all significance, and minor issues inside prison become major ones.
Wheatley explained that Wakefield resembled a conventional prison, with a tall, narrow Victorian structure comprising four main wings, each housing 180 inmates. All accommodation is single-occupancy, with no prisoners required to share cells.
Brand's reported transfer
Russell Brand, who is serving a 10-year sentence for raping one woman and sexually abusing three others, is reportedly due to be transferred to Wakefield, where Lost Prophets paedophile Ian Watkins was killed last year. The prison currently houses inmates such as Jamie Varley, Roy Whiting, Sidney Cooke and Jeremy Bamber.
A source told The Sun: "Brand will not be happy about the move, if it goes ahead. He would be hoping for a much softer low-security jail, and he might end up in one towards the end of his sentence."
