Charles Bronson, a notorious prisoner, was denied parole despite his best efforts.
He has been incarcerated for the majority of the last 50 years, spending the majority of that time in isolation, making him one of Britain’s longest-serving prisoners at the age of 70.
In one of the first ever open Parole Board hearings, he made his most recent request for release, telling the panel: “I’ve had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I’m sick of it.”
I’ve had enough and want to return home.
Responding to the ruling, his son George Bamby said: ‘I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board.’
Bronson’s first conviction was back in 1974 when he was 21 and he was released for two brief periods before being quickly locked back up for reoffending.
He was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours.
Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release.
Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.
Bronson – whose real name is Michael Peterson and has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder – told them he loved a ‘rumble’ and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of ‘peace’.
He described one incident, where he covered his naked body in Lurpak before facing prison guards, as the ‘rumble of my life’, adding: ‘It was f****** brilliant.’
Bronson told how he went through a ‘phase’ where he ‘couldn’t stop taking hostages’ and it was his way of ‘getting back’ while ‘battling against the system’.
He infamously took 11 people hostage on nine different occasions.
Charles Bronson: ‘What the f**k am I still in prison for?’
Bronson said he felt remorse for taking art teacher Phil Danielson captive, but not the governor of Hull prison Adrian Wallace, or three Iraqi inmates he held at Belmarsh.
He said he would like to meet with Mr Danielson, whom he told at the time: ‘You’ve been my best hostage, you’re the only one who hasn’t s*** himself.’
None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released.
In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: ‘After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release.
‘Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison.’