Charles Bronson reportedly rang his mum to tell "I'm not coming out" after his failed parole bid.
Bronson, who previously lived in Ellesmere Port, is one of the UK's longest serving prisoners, having first been sent to Walton Jail, officially known as HMP Liverpool, in 1974. He has since earned the nickname of Britain's most notorious prisoner, having spent nearly 50 years behind bars.
He is currently serving a life sentence for taking prison art teacher Phil Danielson hostage at HMP Hull after he criticised one of his drawings. Earlier this week, Bronson lost his eigth bid to be released and was told he still posed a danger to the public, reports the Mirror.
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Bronson - now known as Charles Salvador - was handed a letter in his cell at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire at 11.30am notifying him of the decision. His former wife, Irene Dunroe from Barnston, Wirral, shared the first call Bronson had with his mum, Eira, following the news.
Irene, who calls Bronson by his birth name Mick Peterson, married Charles in 1972 and shares a son with him.
She said: “Mick called me and he's absolutely devastated. He was disappointed. He said he had to make the hardest phone call he has ever had to make to his mum saying: 'I'm not coming out mum.'
“He said it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do. He didn't want to speak to me at first as he knew I would be upset and I started getting upset on the call. He's so disappointed. He thought he was the nearest he's ever been to freedom.
“He kept saying, 'It's only two or three years, I can do that, I've already done nearly 50, so I can do another two and a half'. He was telling me: “You don't need to cry about it. Don't cry. Don't get upset. It is what it is. It just has to happen.
“He was courageous. He told me, 'Please don't get upset. Please don't cry'."
Three parole judges, who have not been publicly named, heard from Bronson, a psychologist, a prison officer and a friend during the hearing. A psychologist told the hearing that Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some “brutal and unacceptable” treatment behind bars and that he holds “anti-authoritarian views”.
Judges also heard how Bronson, whose real name is Michael Peterson, had a "romantisiced" view of his past violent "rumbles". The psychologist said Bronson should eventually be moved to a lower security prison with open conditions to allow him to interact with other people and poses “less of a risk” outside of jail.
Bronson's personal officer told the hearing he had a good rapport with the inmate. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released.
During the proceedings, Bronson had many outbursts including comparing himself to being on the Apprentice with Lord Sugar. His friend Richard Booth said the pair, who speak on the phone four or five times per day, plan to set up a charitable foundation with proceeds raised by selling the 70-year-old’s art.
Pieces sold so far have raised around £100,000, of which a third is planned to go to the charitable foundation and the remaining two-thirds is held in a separate account but is not for profit, Mr Booth said.
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