Charles Arthur Salvador (formerly Charles Ali Ahmed; born Michael Gordon Peterson on 6 December 1952), better known as Charles Bronson, is a British criminal who has been referred to in the
British press
Twelve daily newspapers and eleven Sunday-only weekly newspapers are distributed nationally in the United Kingdom. Others circulate in Scotland only and still others serve smaller areas. National daily newspapers publish every day except Sunday ...
as the "most violent prisoner in Britain" and "Britain's most notorious prisoner". He has spent periods detained in the
Rampton Rampton may refer to:
People
*Cal Rampton (1913–2007), U.S. politician
*George Rampton (1888–1971), English footballer
* Richard Rampton (born 1941), British lawyer
* Sheldon Rampton (born 1957), U.S. political writer
*Lucybeth Rampton (1914 ...
,
Broadmoor and
Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospitals.
First arrested as a petty criminal, he was convicted and sentenced in 1974 to seven years' imprisonment for armed robbery. Additional time was added due to attacks on prisoners and guards. Upon his release in 1987, he began a
bare-knuckle boxing career in the
East End of London
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have un ...
. His promoter thought he needed a more
suitable name and suggested he change it to Charles Bronson in 1987, after
the American actor. He was returned to prison in 1988 after being convicted of planning another robbery. He is known as a violent inmate, and has taken numerous hostages in the course of confrontations with guards, resulting in his sentence later being changed to life imprisonment. He has been held at times in each of England's three special psychiatric hospitals.
Due to his record of violent anger and mental illness in prison, Bronson is one of the highest-profile criminals in Britain. He has been featured in books, interviews, and studies in prison reform and treatment. He has said: "I'm a nice guy, but sometimes I lose all my senses and become nasty. That doesn't make me evil, just confused." He was the subject of the 2008 film ''
Bronson'' starring
Tom Hardy, a biopic based loosely on his life.
Bronson has written many books about his experiences and the famous prisoners he has met throughout his incarceration. A self-declared fitness fanatic who has spent many years in segregation (
solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which the inmate lives in a single cell with little or no meaningful contact with other people. A prison may enforce stricter measures to control contraband on a solitary prisoner and use addit ...
), Bronson dedicated a book to
exercising in confined spaces. He is an
outsider artist; Bronson's paintings and illustrations of prison and psychiatric hospital life have been publicly exhibited and won him multiple awards.
In 2014, he changed his name again, this time to Charles Salvador, in a mark of respect to
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...
, one of his favourite artists. The Charles Salvador Art Foundation was founded to promote his artwork and "help those in positions even less fortunate than his own" to participate in art.
Life
Early life
Born Michael Gordon Peterson in
Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable a ...
,
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...
, he was one of three sons of Eira and Joe Peterson. His father later ran the
Conservative club in
Aberystwyth.
[ His uncle and aunt each served as ]mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
of Luton in the 1960s and 1970s.[ His aunt, Eileen Parry, is quoted as saying: "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".]
Peterson lived in Luton from the age of four, but when he was a teenager, his family moved to Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...
, where he started getting into trouble. By the age of 13, he was part of a gang of four robbers and was reprimanded in juvenile court after he was caught stealing. He enjoyed fighting from an early age, and was often absent from school. Bronson later returned to Luton, which he refers to as his hometown. His first job was at Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British Multinational corporation, multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues an ...
, which lasted a fortnight
A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term , meaning "" (or "fourteen days," since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights).
Astronomy and tides
In astronomy, a ''lunar fortnight'' is h ...
before he was dismissed for attacking his manager. He passed through a number of jobs, working as a hod
Hod or HOD may refer to:
* Brick hod, a long-handled box for carrying bricks or mortar
* Coal scuttle, bucket-like container for carrying coal
* Hawk (plasterer's tool), used to hold plaster
* a container used to hold clams when clam digging
* ...
carrier and in a number of factories. He was imprisoned for the first time at Risley, serving time on remand for criminal damage after he smashed some parked cars following an argument with his girlfriend's father. Following his trial, he was fined and given probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences ( alternatives to incarceration), suc ...
.
Peterson worked as a furniture remover, while regularly fighting on his nights out. After being involved in petty crime, he was in serious trouble with the authorities for the first time after crashing a stolen lorry into a car. He was apprehended in his parents' home, from the scene of the incident. The driver of the car survived the collision, resulting in Bronson not facing serious penalty, receiving fines and probation. After his trial, he returned to petty crime and menial labour. Aged 19, Bronson was convicted for his part in a smash and grab raid. The judge gave him a suspended sentence.
He met Irene Kelsey in 1971, who described him as "so different from any other boys I knew. He always wore tailored suits, had perfectly-groomed sideburns and a Cockney accent." Eight months later in 1972, when Kelsey was four months pregnant, the couple married at Chester Register Office. Their son is Michael Jonathan Peterson. Five years later they divorced, and Kelsey later remarried.
1974–1989
Bronson was convicted of armed robbery in 1974, aged twenty-two, and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. He was sent to Walton Gaol, and soon ended up on the punishment block after attacking two prisoners without being provoked. He was transferred to Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
in 1975. After refusing prison work, he smashed up a workshop after an altercation with a prison officer, and was sent to the punishment block. He was also injected with the sedative chlorpromazine (which made him violently ill), and six months were added to his sentence. After recovering he continued to prove a highly challenging inmate, and was repeatedly placed in solitary confinement (isolation) for several months. He attacked fellow prisoner John Henry Gallagher with a glass jug, and was charged with grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm (often abbreviated to GBH) is a term used in English criminal law to describe the severest forms of battery. It refers to two offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. Th ...
. (Charges were later dropped to unlawful wounding, and he was convicted. Nine months were added to his sentence.) He was transferred to Armley Gaol
HM Prison Leeds is a Category B men's prison, located at Gloucester Terrace in the Armley area of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1847. Leeds Prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, and is still known locally as ...
.
Peterson found that his reputation as a violent and highly dangerous inmate preceded him. During 1975 to 1977, he was switched between Armley, Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population ...
, Parkhurst, and Walton prisons; he was taken from Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
to London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
chained to the floor of a prison van. Kept in solitary confinement, he began a fitness programme. He continued to attack other convicts and damage prison property. While recovering in solitary from a beating given to him for punching two prison officers, Bronson was handed the divorce papers filed by his wife.
At Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Toponymy
Wandsworth takes its name ...
, he attempted to poison the prisoner in the cell next to him. He was moved to Parkhurst Prison in 1976, where he befriended the Kray twins
Ronald Kray (24 October 193317 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals. They were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London, Engl ...
, whom he described as "the best two guys I've ever met". He was moved back to Wandsworth after threatening to kill a prison officer. He spent four months in isolation after he was caught trying to dig his way out of his cell. After being returned to the prison's general population, he caught up with the prisoner who had informed on his escape plan, and attacked him, scarring him for life. The governor at Wandsworth wanted to transfer Bronson out of his facility, and only the C Unit (Psychiatric Wing) at Parkhurst was willing to accept him. Bronson was returned to the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
. There he attacked a prisoner with a jam jar, and was again charged with grievous bodily harm. He attempted suicide and attacked another prison officer, and was made subject to a transfer direction order under the Mental Health Act
Mental Health Act is a stock short title used for legislation relating to mental health law.
List Canada
* Mental Health Act (Ontario) (Ontario)
India
*The Mental Health Care Act, 2017
Ireland
*The Mental Health Act 2001
New Zealand
*The Me ...
.
In December 1978, Bronson arrived at Broadmoor, but was soon transferred to Rampton Secure Hospital
Rampton Secure Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital near the village of Woodbeck between Retford and Rampton in Nottinghamshire, England. It is one of three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, alongside Ashworth Hospit ...
. Unable to adapt to forced medication, and in the company of highly disturbed and highly dangerous patients, Bronson attempted to strangle child rapist and murderer John White. He was apprehended just as White was giving out his death rattle
Terminal respiratory secretions (or simply terminal secretions),, known colloquially as a death rattle, are sounds often produced by someone who is near death as a result of fluids such as saliva and Bronchus, bronchial secretions accumulating in ...
. He was returned to Broadmoor, where he reunited with Ronnie Kray.
At Broadmoor, Bronson attempted to strangle Gordon Robinson to death, but was prevented from doing so by the tearing of the silk tie he was using. Following this failure, Bronson became depressed, but found his spirits lifted when Ronnie Kray arranged a visit from boxer Terry Downes. In 1982, he performed his first rooftop protest after escaping to the top of Broadmoor; he tore off roof tiles. Not long after the first incident, he again reached the roof of Broadmoor. He caused £250,000 worth of damage in a three-day protest before he was talked down by his family.
Following further treatment, he took up art. Eventually he received more prison awards than any other inmate for his poems, prose, and cartoons. He made a third rooftop protest, this time demanding a prison transfer, but was again talked down. He began an 18-day-long hunger strike, and was eventually granted a transfer to Ashworth Hospital (then known as Park Lane Hospital) in June 1984.
Though Bronson was more settled in the more modern facilities and regime at Ashworth, he soon returned to his previous behavior. He used a sauce bottle to stab Mervin Horley, a patient who made sexual advances towards him. He was returned to the general prison population at Risley Remand Centre in 1985, but was placed in isolation after punching a fellow inmate. In May 1985, Bronson pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm for the attack on Horley, and three years were added to his sentence. Later in the year he was returned to Walton, where he made another three-day rooftop protest, causing £100,000 worth of damage. Authorities added another year to his sentence. He was moved to Albany, where he punched another convict on his first day in general prison population. He was quickly moved to Wormwood Scrubs, and two weeks later was returned to Wandsworth.
In 1986, Bronson was transferred eight times, the only new location being Winchester. He strangled the governor of Wormwood Scrubs during one particularly violent episode. On 3 January 1987, he was transferred to Gartree, where he served the rest of his sentence in isolation, other than ten days spent in nearby Leicester Prison.
1987–1999
Upon his release from Gartree, Peterson was met by his family and stayed with his parents for a few days in Aberystwyth. He journeyed by train to London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, bought a water pistol, modified it, and used it to intimidate a stranger into driving him to Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable a ...
. Bronson embarked on a short-lived career in illegal bare-knuckle boxing in the East End of London
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have un ...
on the advice of long-time friend Reggie Kray. He changed his name from Michael Peterson to Charles Bronson in 1987 on the advice of his fight promoter, Paul Edmonds, although he had never seen a film starring the American actor Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and wa ...
. He offered to fight Lenny McLean, but was refused. He also said that he killed a rottweiler
The Rottweiler (, ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered m ...
with his bare hands in a £10,000 underground fight. Later he said that this was "not something I'm proud of because I love animals."
To the surprise of his girlfriend Alison, on New Year's Day 1988 he robbed a jewellery shop, kept a ring for her, and sold the rest. On 7 January 1988, his 69th day of freedom, he was apprehended and arrested on his morning jog. The arresting officers charged him under his fighting name, Charles Bronson, and he decided at that moment to give up the name Michael Peterson. He was returned to Leicester Prison, as Bedford Prison refused to house him on account of his uncontrollable behaviour during his first stretch in prison. His defence had looked strong as eyewitnesses refused to testify due to fear of reprisals. Alison retracted her initial testimony and became the prosecution's main witness; this not only removed Bronson's alibi but gave the prosecution all the evidence needed to win the case. Bronson made a failed bid to reach the prison's roof, and was transferred to Brixton
Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th centu ...
. Bronson was placed in a top-secure unit of 16 prisoners at Brixton. In June 1988, he pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to seven years.
Bronson was taken to Wandsworth, before being transferred to Full Sutton
Full Sutton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of the village of Stamford Bridge.
According to the 2011 UK Census, Full Sutton parish had a population of 1,072, an increase ...
. There he spent time in isolation for punching a prisoner and a prison officer, and throwing water on the governor. He also spent a month at Durham, where he bonded with a family of rodents that crept into his cell. In 1989, he was moved to Long Lartin
HM Prison Long Lartin is a Category A men's prison, located in the village of South Littleton (near Evesham) in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
Long Lartin was opened a ...
, and seemed to settle at the prison. However, he eventually "went over the edge" and ran riot in the nude, clutching onto a spear he fashioned out of a broken bottle and a broom handle. After another incident in which Bronson began a one-man riot, he was placed in isolation. He spent two months at Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...
, before being moved to Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
, Winchester, and back to Wandsworth in September 1989. He was regularly moved and regularly in trouble, particularly so when he punched two prison officers at Gartree and took the Deputy Governor hostage at Frankland. At Parkhurst, he was on the receiving end of an attack, when at least two prisoners stabbed him in the back several times; Bronson refused to speak to the police about it. He recovered from the attack without further incidents, and was released from prison in November 1992.
Bronson spent 53 days as a free man before being arrested once more, this time for conspiracy to rob.[ He was remanded at the newly opened Woodhill Prison, but insisted that his girlfriend Kelly-Anne, her friend Carol, and her lover were lying to the police in order to get him locked away. On 9 February 1993, the charges of robbery were dismissed; he was given a £600 fine for breaking the nose of Kelly-Anne's lover. Sixteen days later, he was arrested for ]conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...
to rob and for possession of a sawn-off shotgun. On remand in Woodhill, he took a civilian librarian hostage, and demanded an inflatable doll, a helicopter, and a cup of tea from police negotiators. He released the hostage after being disgusted when the man broke wind in front of him.
Bronson was taken from Belmarsh to Bullingdon Prison for his trial. For the trial he pleaded guilty to possessing the shotgun, but not guilty for the conspiracy charges. He told the jury he had intended to use the shotgun to blow his head off. On 14 September 1993, he was found guilty of 'intent to rob' and not guilty of conspiracy to rob, while his co-defendant was found innocent of all charges. He was given an eight-year sentence.
Bronson was taken from Belmarsh to Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population ...
, where he spent 40 days naked in isolation. He was transferred to Hull in November, where he spent a number of months without incident before he took deputy governor Adrian Wallace hostage on Easter Monday
Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the ...
1994. He was overpowered by guards, and was transferred to Leicester. He was returned to Wakefield, where he was confined to what was known as the "Hannibal
Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...
Cage", previously occupied by Robert Maudsley. While there, prison officers Mick O'Hagan and Alan Jarvis encouraged Bronson to take up art, and he began to concentrate on cartooning.
His father died in September 1994, during a period when Bronson was in constant solitary confinement and was moved almost weekly. He attacked the governor at High Down, who had felt safe enough to visit Bronson on his own, telling his prison officers that "he's okay with me". At Lincoln, he was allowed to spend time with children with Down syndrome
Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with child development, physical growth delays, mild to moderate ...
; he was taken out of solitary and placed back on the prison wings after getting along well with the children. He was returned to isolation after returning from 30-minutes' exercise 30 minutes late.
In April 1996, he was sent back to Belmarsh after taking a doctor hostage at Birmingham. Five months later, an Iraqi hijacker bumped into him in the canteen and did not apologise. After a long period of brooding, Bronson took two other Iraqi hijackers, along with another inmate named Jason Greasley, hostage in a cell. By his own admission, he was "losing it badly" and ranted about his dead father, saying that any "funny business" would result in him "snapping necks". He sang and laughed and forced the Iraqis to tickle his feet and call him 'General'. He demanded a plane to take him to Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...
, two Uzi sub-machine guns, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and an axe. He released Greasley, but began chanting "I want ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...
". He felt guilty after hitting one of the hostages with a metal tray and therefore insisted the same hostage hit him over the head four times so as to call it 'quits'. He slashed himself four times with a safety razor, but agreed to release the hostages and walk back to the segregation unit. Another seven years were added to his sentence, though this was reduced to five on appeal.
In October 1996, Bronson was unsettled as he had an unexpected visit from Robert Taylor, a doctor, instead of his regular lawyer. He took Taylor hostage, but released him 30 minutes later after coming to his senses; Taylor refused to assist a prosecution.
In January 1999, he took Phil Danielson, a civilian education worker, hostage, as he had criticised one of Bronson's drawings. Bronson tore up the prison, throwing refrigeration units and furniture around. He was shocked and knocked unconscious for a few minutes when wrenching a washing machine out of the wall. The siege lasted for 44 hours before he released Danielson. Bronson was transferred to Whitemoor.
For the incident, Bronson received a discretionary life sentence to run a minimum of three years. Later in 1999, a special prison unit was set up at Woodhill for Bronson, Robert Maudsley and Reginald Wilson, to reduce the risk they posed to staff and other prisoners. Danielson received £65,000 in compensation from the Home Office in an out-of-court settlement, although the prison service did not admit liability for its negligence in failing to protect a civilian employee.
2001–present
In 2001, Bronson married again, this time in HMP Woodhill to Fatema Saira Rehman, a Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...
i-born divorcee. She had seen his picture and an article about him in a newspaper and began writing to him. Rehman had visited Bronson ten times before they married. She had worked at a women's shelter before they met, but lost her job when her employer found out about the relationship. For a short time, Bronson converted to his wife's faith of Islam, and wished to be known as Charles Ali Ahmed, but did not change his name legally. After four years he and Rehman divorced, and he renounced Islam. During this period, Bronson appealed against his life sentence, but three appeal court judges rejected the application in April 2004. In court, with six prison guards surrounding him, Bronson said his wife and her daughter were helping to rehabilitate him, and references about his character, including reports from psychiatrists, were positive on this occasion.[ ]
In 2007, two prison staff members at Full Sutton high security dispersal prison in the East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire t ...
were involved in a "control and restraint incident", in an attempt to prevent another hostage situation, during which Bronson had his tinted glasses broken. Bronson received £200 compensation for his broken glasses.
Bronson remained a Category A prisoner when he was moved to Wakefield High-Security Prison.[ He was due for a parole hearing in September 2008, but this was postponed when his lawyer objected to a one-hour parole interview, requesting a full day to deal with Bronson's case. The parole hearing took place on 11 March 2009, the board refused parole shortly afterwards.
In August 2013, a petition with 10,000 signatures was presented to 10 Downing Street calling for his release. In an enclosed note, Bronson appealed to prime minister ]David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
for him to be able to "live what's left of my life and not be buried in the prison system".
On 28 February 2014, Bronson violently attacked the prison governor in a television room in HMP Woodhill, over a dispute that his mail was being withheld, including two letters from his mother. The governor had serious bruising. In July 2014, Bronson was sentenced to two years. The prison had accepted that his mail may have been unacceptably processed.
In August 2014, Bronson announced that he was changing his name via deed poll
A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract because it binds only one party
A party ...
to Charles Salvador, in tribute to the artist Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...
. In a hand-written statement on his website, Salvador stated that "The old me dried up... Bronson came alive in 1987. He died in 2014."
Under this new name, he began creating works of art described as "fantasy reality". A collection of these works was auction
An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition e ...
ed in October 2014.
Salvador proposed to actress Paula Williamson, during a prison visit on 13 February 2017, and was accepted. She had been visiting him for five months. According to Williamson: "Charlie is a changed man. It is my hope that he will be released by my 40th birthday, in August 2020". Williamson, who had minor roles in ''Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based ...
'' and ''Emmerdale
''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffa ...
'', married Salvador in the prison chapel on 14 November 2017. It became known in July 2018 that Bronson asked for divorce after photo evidence of a young British holidaygoer 'motorboating
Power boating describes activities performed in a motorized boat. Generally, a power boat has a high power-to-weight ratio and a hull design that allows for easy planing, which allows for higher speed and improved handling. Also, the shape of ...
' on her chest and inviting him and his friends to her apartment, whilst on holiday in Tenerife, was leaked to a newspaper. She claimed he requested his wife to wear a catsuit when she next visited him, a suggestion she rejected. On 29 July 2019, Williamson, aged 38, was found dead at her home in Stoke-on-Trent. Her death was not considered suspicious by the police.
In 2017, Bronson contacted newspaper photographer George Bamby after recognising his name on a Channel 4 documentary. After meeting, Bronson gave Bamby hair samples for DNA testing, which proved that Bronson is his father.[
In November 2018, Bronson was found not guilty at Leeds Crown Court after being tried for attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The incident the previous January had involved Mark Docherty, the governor at Wakefield prison. "For the first time in 44 years in prison I never intended to be violent. I never meant to hurt the governor", Bronson told the court (via Videolink) while defending himself. Shortly after his acquittal, he was moved to HM Prison Woodhill.]
In June 2020, Bronson won a High Court battle for the right for his parole board meeting to be held in public, citing the right to a fair trial.
Occupations and projects
While in prison, Bronson developed a fitness regime and in 2008 claimed he could still do 172 press-ups in 60 seconds and 94 sit-ups in 30 seconds. In 2002, he published the book ''Solitary Fitness'', detailing an individual training process with minimal resources and space.
Since 1999, Bronson has occupied himself by writing poetry and producing artworks; he has had eleven books published, including in 2008 his only self-penned book ''Loonyology: In My Own Words''. He has won 11 Koestler Trust Awards for his poetry and art.
On 28 April 2010, BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
reported that artwork by Bronson was displayed on the London Underground at Angel tube station from 26 April 2010 for two weeks. The display was organised by Art Below, which is unrelated to the official Transport For London art programme. The National Victims' Association, which represents families affected by crime, queried the desirability of allowing Bronson "to engage with the British public in this way". His work was soon removed by an unknown party for unexplained reasons.
''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'' reported in 2014 that the sale of several of Bronson's artworks, which were formerly owned by Ronnie Kray, raised several thousand pounds for his mother to have a holiday. It followed her upset after Bronson's reported attack launched against 12 prison guards at HMP Woodhill.
In 2016, he auctioned one of his artworks to raise money for the treatment of a child with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be p ...
.
In 2021, Bronson (under the name Charles Arthur Salvador) was featured on the single "Only Mad Men Crawl" by the Ayia Napa-based recording act Lost Vegas.
Film of Bronson's life
'' Bronson'', which loosely follows Bronson's life, was released in Britain on 13 March 2009. It stars Tom Hardy in the eponymous role, and is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Controversy was caused at the première when a recording of Bronson's voice was played with no prior permission granted by officers at HM Prison Service, who called for an inquiry into how the recording had been made.
Selected works
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References
External links
The Charles Salvador Art Foundation
official website - archived at Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and s ...
Bronson the Movie website
archived at the Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and s ...
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''The Real Bronson'' (2010) TV documentary
''Prisoner Charles Bronson: The Documentary'' (2000)
an edited version of the banne
by Stephen Richards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bronson, Charles
1952 births
Living people
20th-century English criminals
21st-century English criminals
Bare-knuckle boxers
British former Muslims
British people convicted of robbery
Converts to Islam
Criminals from Bedfordshire
English autobiographers
English prisoners and detainees
Outsider artists
English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
English people convicted of assault
People convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
People from Ellesmere Port
People from Luton
People detained at Ashworth Hospital
People detained at Broadmoor Hospital
English male poets
Inmates of HM Prison Belmarsh
English male boxers
English male non-fiction writers