Luton-born Charles Bronson was originally convicted of armed robbery in 1974 (Picture: PA)
One of Britain’s most violent criminals will make his latest bid for freedom in early next year.
Charles Bronson, who now uses the name Salvador, will face a public Parole Board hearing after being in prison for much of the last 50 years, often spending time in solitary confinement.
In 1974, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for armed robbery, but he had a series of sentences added to the original term over the years for violent attacks on inmates and leading prison rooftop riots.
Bronson was again sentenced in 2000 to a discretionary life term with a minimum of four years for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours.
Since then the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release from jail.
He became the first person to formally ask for a public Parole Board hearing after reforms in the law were introduced in July.
This means the public and press are allowed to observe proceedings, in a bid to remove the secrecy around the whole process.
Upon his release in 1987, he began a bare-knuckle boxing career in east London (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Bronson making a rare appearance outside prison (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
He is known as a violent inmate, often attacking others in jail (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Writing to Metro.co.uk from the high-security estate at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Bronson said ‘we could, should, make history here’.
The Parole Board said it granted an application made by his lawyers for his latest case review is heard in public.
In a document setting out the decision, Parole Board chairwoman Caroline Corby said: ‘I have concluded that a public hearing is in the interests of justice in the case of Mr Salvador.
‘I therefore grant the application for the hearing to be held in public.’
Bronson’s case is yet to be listed and a date for the hearing has not been set but the Parole Board said it is expected to take place early next year.
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Given his persistent violent behaviour behind bars, he might struggle to convince them that he is no danger to society, which is what he would have to do to secure a release from prison.
Bronson has often been dubbed as the country’s most notorious criminal but he insists he is a now changed man and deserves to be released on parole very soon.
Writing in his book ‘Bronson’, he said: ‘I’m a nice guy, but sometimes I lose all my senses and become nasty. That doesn’t make me evil, just confused.’
Tom Hardy played him in the 2008 biopic of the same name which is loosely based on the hardman’s life.
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‘I’m a nice guy, but sometimes I lose all my senses and become nasty.’
