Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson is set to make his ninth bid for freedom this November, opening up the possibility of release in time for Christmas. Coming before the Parole Board for a two-day oral hearing, the 73-year-old, also known as Charles Salvador, insists a decade-plus of good behaviour proves he is a changed man.
However, across more than 50 years behind bars, his rap sheet has been defined by wild, high-profile chaos, from taking hostages to staged rooftop protests. Here, the Daily Star looks back at some of Britain's most infamous inmate's most outrageous escapades.
Hostage-taking and the 'Christmas turkey'
Bronson has confessed to taking 11 hostages over the years, including deputy governor Adrian Wallace in 1994. The unsuspecting victim was held captive by the armed robber for five hours at Hull Prison and beaten so severely he was forced to take five weeks off work.
During his parole hearing, Bronson admitted he "couldn't stop taking hostages" during the height of his violent period. "I was battling against the system... it was my way of getting back," Bronson said. "There's nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey."
When questioned about Wallace, Bronson conceded he felt no remorse for the incident, which resulted in the former governor suffering from PTSD. "That was 30 years ago and I've moved on from that long ago," Bronson added. "Governor Adrian Wallace was an a***hole, is an a***hole and will die an a***hole."
Naked Lurpak 'rumble' and viral dance
In 2014, Tottenham fan Bronson "lost it" when Arsenal clinched the FA Cup and coated himself in butter to assault 12 prison officers. The inmate revealed in a letter to friend Kate Kray – former wife of Ronnie Kray – that he slathered his naked body in Lurpak hoping the greasy substance would make it more difficult for the guards to subdue him.
A source at the Yorkshire prison stated at the time: "The staff trying to restrain Charlie could not take him down. He was naked and covered in butter." However, the incident left Bronson slightly battered and he admitted he came out of the scuffle with "broken ribs".
"Not good news. I've had another rumble," he said. "Obviously I had my reasons and I'd sooner swallow teeth than my pride. Sadly I came off worst – got smashed-up ribs. Life goes on Kate! You won't hear me moan!"
Stripping off isn't unfamiliar territory for Bronson, who also bared all in the corridors of a prison where he was incarcerated for his violent offences. A viral CCTV clip of the episode showed the inmate dancing stark naked and bouncing up and down in the prison hallways, followed by a group of armed prison officers approaching him. The footage was included in the Channel 4 documentary Charles Bronson: Fit to be Freed? which explained: "In 2007 shocking footage was posted online claiming to show how Bronson behaved in the solitary units."
Escape attempts and claims of reform
While Bronson was an inmate at Wandsworth prison, he was discovered attempting to tunnel his way out of his cell. The episode resulted in the convict being placed in solitary confinement for four months, following which he hunted down a fellow prisoner he'd revealed his breakout scheme to and assaulted him, leaving him permanently disfigured. He was subsequently moved to Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, where he had previously served time, and attacked another inmate with a jam jar.
Despite his violent history, Bronson insists he "hates violence". "They keep f***ing drumming it into the public I'm a danger," Bronson said in a prison voice note heard by Sky News. "Who am I a danger to? I've never been a danger to the public." He added: "I hate violence, I despise it and that's all I've done for the last 10 years, sit in my cell, a model prisoner, polite, respectful but they still won't let me out."
