Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson is dubbed one of Britain’s most violent offenders. One of the UK’s longest serving inmates, he has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom where he reoffended, his public parole hearing was told on Monday.
During the time he has been incarcerated, he has held 11 hostages in nine different sieges – with victims including governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.
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The chairman of the Parole Board panel, who has not been publicly named, outlined Bronson’s criminal history as the hearing opened. Here is a list of his offences:
- Bronson’s first conviction was in 1974 when he was 21 and was jailed for seven years for robbery, aggravated burglary, assault with intent to rob and possession of a firearm.
- He was convicted for wounding again in 1975, 1978 and 1985, then in 1987 he was released from prison at the age of 34.
- After 69 days he was back in prison, sentenced in 1988 for seven years for robbery at a jewellers’ shop.
- He was later released from prison in 1992, but 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 blackmail, then in 1997 he took a deputy prison governor, staff and three inmates hostage for which he received five years.
- Later, in 1999, he took an art teacher hostage for three days and was given a life sentence with a minimum term of three years which expired in 2003.
- In 2014 he was further sentenced to three years for assaulting a prison governor.
