Robert Maudsley, the 71-year-old inmate known as 'Hannibal the Cannibal', has been transferred from Wakefield Prison to HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire after more than 46 years in near-total isolation. He spent nearly 17,000 consecutive days alone in a bulletproof glass cell at Wakefield, known as 'Monster Mansion', where he was confined for 23 hours a day.
Maudsley earned his fearsome reputation by killing four men, three of them while behind bars. His first murder was in 1974, when he killed child abuser John Farrell. Sent to Broadmoor Hospital, he killed a fellow patient in 1977 using a cut-down plastic spoon. In 1978, he murdered two more prisoners at Wakefield, including a convicted wife killer, and told guards, 'There'll be two short on the roll call.'
Despite sensational claims, post-mortem reports disproved cannibalism. His nickname 'Hannibal the Cannibal' stuck, and the prison built him a custom cell reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter's cage. Maudsley described the experience as 'being buried alive in a coffin'.
Former detective Paul Harrison, who interviewed Maudsley in 2018, described him as intelligent and thoughtful, adding, 'There are people worse than him in the system.' His nephew Gavin said Robert accepts his fate but is terrified of being housed with rapists and paedophiles, the group he has historically targeted. 'Put him with the wrong people and he's going to kill again,' Gavin warned.
Maudsley's recent move to HMP Whitemoor's F Wing, a unit for prisoners with personality disorders, has sparked fears. He reportedly went on a hunger strike after his PlayStation and television were removed. In a phone call to his brother, he allegedly said, 'Don't be surprised if this is the last time I call you.' The hunger strike has since ended, but friends and family remain on edge.
