Britain’s most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson to launch bid for freedom at parole hearing today
Britain’s most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson will launch a bid for freedom at a public parole hearing today.
He will argue that after nearly half-a-century in jail, most of it in solitary confinement, he is safe to be released.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is opposing his parole and will argue that Bronson, 70, is at high risk of serious harm to the public.
Bronson sent Sky News a postcard from his prison cell last week.
It showed an everyday London street scene – to him, freedom.
He was confident he would be released and wrote: “They should have compassion for my mother. It’s her life-long dream to see me free and happy.”
Bronson sent Sky News a postcard from his prison cell
Bronson was jailed for armed robbery in 1974 and, but for a couple of brief episodes of freedom, has been in jail ever since.
His original seven-year sentence has been extended many times because of his violent attacks on prison staff and fellow inmates.
In 1999, he held an art teacher hostage for two days in Hull prison and, although he didn’t physically hurt him, his victim was left so traumatised he never went back to work.
Bronson was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of three years, but has had many parole bids turned down because of subsequent violent episodes.
His lawyers will argue that it’s eight years since his last conviction and four years since an internal prison adjudication for violence.
Bronson is currently assessed as a medium risk to staff and fellow inmates, but is still a Category A prisoner held in the close supervision centre (CSC) at Woodhill Prison near Milton Keynes.
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From July 2022: Bronson sends voice note to Sky News
His solicitor Dean Kingham said Bronson, who now calls himself Charles Salvador, is deliberately being prevented from making progress towards a less restricted regime.
He said: “It is clear to me that Mr Salvador is a political prisoner, given the lack of political will to progress someone as high profile as him. By keeping him in CSC conditions the (justice secretary) is trying to influence the Parole Board.”
Bronson’s family and supporters say it is unfair to keep him in jail when prisoners convicted of more serious offences have been granted parole.
He has also shown he would be able to work and support himself through his drawings, which sometimes sell for several thousand pounds.
In a voice message to Sky News from his cell last year, Bronson said: “It’s an absolute liberty. I’ve never murdered anyone, I’ve never raped anyone. What am I in jail for? People don’t believe it. They think I’m a serial killer.”
Former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector Simon Harding said: “Bronson has an incredibly violent streak and it’s very, very risky to release people like that.
“And then, what happens if he is released? There’s all the monitoring involved because he will be on a life licence. He’s a very dangerous man who’s could be released into society very shortly.”
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The Parole Board hearing is expected to last for three days, with a decision announced two weeks later.
The board could recommend freeing Bronson, moving him to an open prison or keeping him locked up.
The justice secretary can block a recommendation to release Bronson, but such a move would ultimately be decided by the courts.
The board will hear from prison and probation staff, a lawyer for the justice secretary and Bronson himself.
The hearing is being held in public at the Royal Courts of Justice, with Bronson appearing by video link from jail.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Bob Johnson, who first treated Bronson more than 30 years ago, said he should be freed.
“The Parole Board should say ‘this man has been locked up for 50 years, he has 50 years of problems, violence and unruly behaviour, but we’ve decided that he’s now low enough risk’,” he said.
“I think he probably is, but the transition from 50 years inside to outside life is going to be very, very dramatic.”
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Dr Bob Johnson with a letter from Charles Bronson
Dr Johnson was a controversial figure at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, where he treated dozens of murderers and other violent men such as Bronson.
Instead of prescribing control drugs, he encouraged prisoners to understand and confront the reasons for their behaviour, which was often rooted in childhood trauma.
When the Home Office ended his contract, Bronson wrote him a letter in which he lamented his sudden departure.
He wrote: “A sad day to see you go, but I must admit I admire your principles. It’s a rare sight to see a doctor stand up to this system.
“Dr ****** was a man who believed in ‘drug control’, whereas you believed in humanity, then trust.
“Your way obviously worked as you cut the violence.”
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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