Britain’s most infamous lag Charles Bronson has begged justice secretary Dominic Raab for a pardon in a bizarre audio clip.
The 70-year-old was first locked up in 1977 for seven years for armed robbery – but more time was added due to attacks on guards and fellow prisoners.
His first stretch ended in 1987 but he was soon back in jail, and in total has spent over 40 years inside.
He says for the last five years he has not attacked anyone and has made progress.
Bronson's lawyer has also written to Mr Raab saying the prisoner "has not been violent for a significant number of years".
In an audio file sent to Sky News from HMP Woodhill, Bronson said: “I bet you can't believe I'm still in, can you?
"It's an absolute liberty. I'm 70 years old now, 70 years old. 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."
His lawyer has written to Justice Secretary Dominic Raab asking for a pardon, adding: “You have the power under the Prerogative of Mercy to grant Mr Salvador's release without requiring him to go in front of the Parole Board... he has not been violent for a significant number of years and his risk is primarily towards prison governors.
"The evidence in excess of the last five years is clear that his risk of violence has significantly reduced."
He was briefly released in the 1980s but was caught plotting another raid and returned to prison, where he committed several high-profile offences.
He took two Iraqi hijackers and another inmate hostage at the high-security Belmarsh Prison, demanding a helicopter to Cuba and a cheese and pickle sandwich during negotiations and threatening to eat one of his captives.
In a separate incident he took a deputy prison governor hostage, while he also kidnapped a teacher who was critical of one of his paintings.
In 2014 he covered himself in Lurpak in 2014 to attack 12 prison officers at Full Sutton jail when Arsenal won the FA Cup .
He has also had nine rooftop protests and held a reported 11 hostages - although he vows those days are behind him.
Earlier this year he claimed he would be a free man come June thanks to a public parole hearing.
In a phone call from jail, he said: “I’ve got my jam roll [parole] coming up. All my reports are excellent.
“It’s looking good, it really is. I’m closer now to getting out than I have been in 30-odd years. Up to now there’s not a date, but it’s looking like June, July.
“I’m the first man in the British Isles to have a public parole hearing. All these decades I’ve done.”
