Charles Bronson: Who is Britain's most notorious prisoner and why has he been in jail for so long?

Charles Bronson, known as Britain's most notorious prisoner has been in jail for nearly 50 years, with most of his time in solitary confinement.

The 70-year-old's solicitor Dean Kingham said that Bronson is "reformed" and urged Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to grant a pardon.

In a letter to Raab, Kingham asked him to use his prerogative power to free Bronson, saying he has made progress in prison.

Bronson, now known as Charles Salvador - named after the artist Salvador Dali - sent Sky News a postcard from his prison cell days before his public parole hearing.

He wrote: "They should have compassion for my mother. It's her life-long dream to see me free and happy."

Here, Sky News takes a look at the life of Charles Bronson and why he’s in prison.

Who is Charles Bronson?

Born in 1952 and originally known as Michael Gordon Peterson, Bronson - who has also been known as Charlie, Charles Ali Ahmed, Mickey and Charles Salvador - was one out of three sons to Eira and Joe Peterson.

Politics was a large part of the family, as Bronson’s uncle and aunt both served as the mayor and mayoress of Aberystwyth in the 1960s and 70s.

His father is also said to have run the Conservative Club in the resort town.

In 2000 his aunt Eileen Parry told the BBC: "As a boy he was a lovely lad. He was obviously bright and always good with children.

"He was gentle and mild-mannered, never a bully; he would defend the weak," she added.

Bronson lived in Luton from the age of four, but during his teenage years, he moved to Cheshire with his family - where his aunt Ms Parry said the life of crime first began.

What crimes has Charles Bronson been accused of?

In 1974, Bronson was jailed for aggravated burglary, assault with intent to rob and possession of a firearm at the age of 21 and sent to HM prison in Liverpool, formerly known as Walton Goal, a category B local men’s prison.

The sentence, which was originally seven years, had been extended several times due to violent attacks on prison staff and fellow inmates for which he was convicted of in 1975, 1978 and 1985.

In 1987 he was released from prison at the age of 34 - however, after 69 days he was back in prison, sentenced in 1988 to seven years for robbery at a jeweller's shop.

Experiencing a few years away from prison, Bronson was again released in 1992, but just a few weeks later was jailed for eight years for intent to rob and has been behind bars since then for violent offences committed while in custody.

In 1994 he was given seven years for false imprisonment.

And in 1997 Bronson took a deputy prison governor, staff and three inmates hostage, for which he received five years.

A few years later in 1999, he held an art teacher hostage for three days in Hull prison.

Although Bronson did not physically hurt the victim, he did leave him traumatised - leading the teacher to not return to work.

Bronson was given a discretionary life sentence for the incident, to run for a minimum of three years, which expired in 2003.

Later that year, a special prison unit was set up at the prison to reduce the risk posed to staff and other prisoners.

The charges however did not stop there and in 2014 Bronson was further sentenced to three years for assaulting a prison governor.

Bronson in Broadmoor hospital

Due to several violent attacks, Bronson moved to many different prisons during his time.

After attacking a prison officer and attempting suicide, he was transferred to Broadmoor Hospital in 1978 because of psychiatric concerns.

Soon after, he was transferred to Rampton Secure Hospital.

Bronson however, found it difficult to adapt to the hospital and attempted to strangle child rapist and murderer John White.

Transferring back to Broadmoor Hospital, he then attempted to strangle another inmate but did not succeed.

Bronson staged an 18-day hunger strike and was later moved to Ashworth Hospital, and then Park Lane Hospital in 1984.

Bronson’s patterns of violence, protests and transfers continued until his short release in 1987.

His brief boxing stint

Although Bronson had a limited amount of time outside, he had a brief career in bare-knuckle boxing.

He fought in multiple illegal shows and later decided to change his name from Michael Peterson to Charles Bronson - named after the Hollywood actor.

In 2008, a film dedicated to Bronson, with Tom Hardy as the lead actor was released, where he is pictured wearing boxing gloves.

Based loosely on Bronson's life, the film won awards for Best Actor at the British Independent Film Award and Best Film at the Sydney Film Festival.

Bronson’s art exhibition

Bronson is launching an exhibition, which he hopes will boost his new bid for parole.

There are said to be hundreds of Charles Bronson drawings that will be on show and up for sale - with prices ranging from £700 to £30,000 - for the highest price, you get a series of nine drawings.

"If we can show that Charlie does genuinely want to be released from prison to work on his art, there's definitely a good chance this can help with his parole,” Artist and curator Oliver Hammond told Sky News in February.

The drawings depict his life in prison, with many images showing Branson behind prison doors.

Art isn’t the only way Bronson has occupied his time - since 1999 Bronson has had eleven books published, including a memoir called Bronson, Respect and Reputation and Loonyology: In My Own Words.

Who was Bronson married to?

Irene Kelsey and Bronson met in 1971 and eight months later, the couple wed and had their first son named Michael Jonathan Peterson.

However, five years later, they divorced.

In 2001, Bronson married again, with Fatema Saira Rehman, but this time the marriage took place at HMP Woodhill prison.

She said that after seeing Bronson’s picture in the newspaper, she began writing to him.

After their wedding, Bronson briefly converted to Islam and changed his name to Charles Ali Ahmed.

The couple got a divorce four years after being married, and Bronson later renounced Islam and his new name.

The notorious prisoner’s latest known marriage was with ex-Coronation street actress Paula Williamson.

The late actress had been visiting Bronson in prison since 2016 and in 2017, he decided to propose - they wed later that year.

In 2018, Bronson asked for a divorce and their marriage was annulled.

"Charlie is a changed man. It is my hope that he will be released by my 40th birthday, in August 2020," Ms Williamson told the Daily Mail.

Paula Williamson was found dead in her home in July 2019 and Staffordshire Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious.

Read more:
Parole hearing begins for Britain's most notorious prisoner
Charles Bronson launches bid for freedom at parole hearing

The bid for freedom

Branson has had many parole bids turned down due to violent outbursts throughout the years.

In the public parole hearing on Monday, Bronson’s lawyers argue that it has been with years since his last conviction and four years since internal prison adjudication for violence.

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."