Charles Bronson (prisoner)

For other uses, see Charles Bronson (disambiguation).

Charles Bronson
Hull Prison where Bronson took Phil Danielson, a civilian education worker, hostage for over 40hrs
Born	Michael Gordon Peterson 6 December 1952 (1952-12-06) Luton, Bedfordshire, England
Alias(es)	Charles Ali Ahmed Prisoner: A8076AG
Conviction(s)	armed robbery, wounding with intent, wounding, criminal damage, grievous bodily harm, false imprisonment, blackmail, threatening to kill
Penalty	Initially 7 years, currently life
Status	Incarcerated at HMP Wakefield as of 21 May 2010
Occupation	Circus strongman, bareknuckle boxer
Spouse	Irene Fatema Saira Rehman
Parents	Eira and Joe Peterson
Children	Michael Jonathan Peterson

Charles Bronson (born Michael Gordon Peterson, 6 December 1952) is an English criminal often referred to in the British press as the "most violent prisoner in Britain".

Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, Peterson often found his way into fights before he began a bare-knuckle boxing career in the East End of London. His promoter was unhappy with his name and suggested he change it to Charles Bronson.

In 1974 he was imprisoned for a robbery and sentenced to seven years. While in prison he began making a name for himself as a loose cannon, often fighting convicts and prison officers. These fights added years onto his sentence. Regarded as a problem prisoner, he was moved 120 times throughout Her Majesty's Prison Service and spent most of that time in solitary confinement. What was originally a seven year term stretched out to a fourteen year sentence that resulted in his first wife, Irene, with whom he had a son, leaving him. He was released on 30 October 1988 but only spent sixty-nine days as a free man before he was arrested again.

While in jail in 2001 he married his second wife, Fatema Saira Rehman, a Bangladeshi-born divorcée who inspired him to convert to Islam and take the name of Charles Ali Ahmed. This second marriage lasted four years before he was divorced and renounced Islam.

Bronson is one of the most high profile criminals in Britain, and has been the subject of books, interviews and studies in prison reform and treatment. He is the subject of the 2008 film Bronson, the story based loosely around significant events during his life. In addition Bronson has himself written many books about his experiences and famous prisoners he has met throughout his internment. A self-declared fitness fanatic who spent multiple years in segregation, Bronson dedicated a book to working out in confined spaces.

Before prison

Luton, Bedfordshire – Bronson considers this his hometown

Early life

Bronson was one of three sons of Eira and Joe Peterson, who would later run the Conservative club in Aberystwyth. His uncle and aunt were mayor and mayoress of the town 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."

He lived in Luton from the age of four, but when he was a teenager, Bronson moved with his family to Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, where he started getting into trouble. Bronson later returned to Luton, which is often referred to as his hometown, where he earned a living as a circus strongman. He was married 1972 to Irene Kelsey, with whom he had a son, Michael Jonathan later the same year.

Boxing career and name change

Prior to being imprisoned, Bronson had a short-lived career in bare-knuckle boxing in the East End of London, during which time he became an associate of Lenny McLean. He changed his name from Mick Peterson to Charles Bronson in 1987 on the advice of his fight promoter, "not because he liked the idea of the ‘Death Wish’ films starring the original Charles Bronson."

Life in prison

Ashworth Hospital, where Bronson spent some time as a mental health patient

Bronson was imprisoned for seven years in 1974, aged twenty-two, for an armed robbery at a Post Office in Little Sutton, a suburb of Ellesmere Port, during which he stole £26.18. His sentence was repeatedly extended for crimes committed within prison, which include wounding with intent, wounding, criminal damage, grievous bodily harm, false imprisonment, blackmail and threatening to kill.

Bronson has served all but four of his years in prison in segregation due to a number of hostage situations, rooftop protests, and repeated attacks on prison staff and on other inmates. His dangerous behaviour has meant that he has spent time in over 120 different prisons, including all three high secure hospitals: Broadmoor Hospital, Rampton Secure Hospital, and Ashworth Hospital.

Bronson has spent a total of just four months and nine days out of custody since 1974. He was released on 30 October 1988 and spent sixty-nine days as a free man before being arrested for robbery, and then released again on 9 November 1992, spending fifty-three days as a free man before being arrested again, this time for conspiracy to rob.

In 1999 a special prison unit was set up for Bronson and two other violent prisoners from Woodhill, to reduce the risk they posed to staff and other prisoners.

In 2000, Bronson received a discretionary life sentence with a three year tariff for a hostage-taking incident. His appeal against this sentence was denied in 2004.

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 and parole was refused shortly afterwards. The Parole Board said that Mr Bronson had not proved he was a reformed character.

On 12 November 2010, Bronson was involved in another incident in Wakefield prison’s F Wing, when he stripped naked, covered himself in butter and attacked six prison officers. Covering himself with butter made him harder to restrain. Another six prison officers were brought in and finally restrained him. Bronson claimed in an interview that this incident never occurred.

The incident followed another attack on prison officers the previous week during which he injured four attempting to take him back to segregation.

Prison sources said the attack was Bronson's “protest over an appeal rejection” and fears that he may now spend the rest of his life in prison.

Hostage incidents

Belmarsh Prison, where Bronson took two Iraqi hijackers hostage

Bronson has been involved in over a dozen hostage incidents, some of which are described below:

• In 1983, Bronson took hostages and staged a 47-hour rooftop protest at Broadmoor, causing £750,000 of damage.
• In 1994, while holding a civilian librarian hostage at Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes, he demanded an inflatable doll, a helicopter and a cup of tea as ransom. Two months later, he held deputy governor Adrian Wallace hostage for five hours at Hull prison, injuring him so badly he was off work for five weeks.
• In 1998, Bronson took two Iraqi hijackers and another inmate hostage at Belmarsh prison in London. He insisted his hostages address him as "General" and told negotiators he would eat one of his victims quickly unless his demands were met. At one stage, Bronson demanded one of the Iraqis hit him "very hard" over the head with a metal tray. When the hostage refused, Bronson slashed his own shoulder six times with a razor blade. He was also spotted by one of the other inmates eating his own faeces and screaming inane profanities. He later told staff: "I'm going to start snapping necks – I'm the number-one hostage taker." He demanded a plane to take him to Cuba, two Uzi sub-machine guns, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and an axe. In court, he said he was "as guilty as Adolf Hitler", adding, "I was on a mission of madness, but now I'm on a mission of peace and all I want to do now is go home and have a pint with my son." Another seven years were added to his sentence.
• In 1999, he took Phil Danielson, a civilian education worker, hostage at Hull prison. He can be seen in CCTV footage singing the song "Yellow Submarine", walking around with a makeshift spear^{[citation needed]} (after having caused havoc inside the prison) and causing the wing to be locked up for over forty hours.
• In 2007, two prison staff members at Full Sutton high security dispersal prison in the East Riding of Yorkshire were involved in a "control and restraint incident", in an attempt to prevent another hostage situation, during which Bronson (who by now needed spectacles) had his glasses broken. Bronson received £200 compensation for his broken glasses, which he claimed were made of "pre-war gold" and given to him by Lord Longford.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

First marriage

Bronson met his first wife, Irene, in 1971, when he was still called Michael Peterson. Irene remembers that he "was so different from any other boys I knew. He always wore tailored suits, had perfectly-groomed sideburns and a Cockney accent." Eight months later, when Irene was 4 months pregnant, they married at Chester Register Office in 1972 When their son Mike was two years old, the police raided their house searching for Peterson. He was eventually caught and sent to prison. Five years later they divorced and Irene later remarried.

Second marriage and second name change

In 2001, Bronson married again, this time in Milton Keynes', HMP Woodhill to Fatema Saira Rehman, a Bangladeshi-born divorcee who had seen his picture in a newspaper and begun writing to him. Rehman had visited Bronson ten times prior to their wedding. She had worked at a women's shelter prior to their meeting, but lost her job when her employer found out about the relationship. For a short time, Bronson converted to Islam (Rehman is Muslim) and wished to be known as Charles Ali Ahmed. After four years he and Rehman divorced. Rehman has since given many interviews regarding her short marriage to Bronson, portraying him in a negative light. In one interview she was quoted as saying, "He fooled me - he is nothing but an abusive, racist thug."

Bronson claims that shortly after the 9-11 attacks in New York, two men visited him (he was then known as Ahmed) offering to release him into general population if he would infiltrate the Muslim prison population.

Occupations and projects

While in prison, Bronson has developed an extreme fitness regime and claims he is still able to do 172 press-ups in 60 seconds and 94 press-ups in 30 seconds. In 2002, he published the book Solitary Fitness, detailing an individual training process with minimal resources and space.

For the past ten years, Bronson has occupied himself by writing poetry and producing pieces of art; 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 reported that artwork by Bronson was displayed on the London Underground at Angel 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 program, and there is controversy over whether it should have been shown. His work has since been removed by an unknown party.

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 titular role, and is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. There was some controversy 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.

Bibliography

• Bronson, Charles. Bronson (8 October 2004 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1857825225. - Total pages: 304
• Bronson, Charles; Richards, Stephen (2002). Solitary Fitness (2002 ed.). Mirage. ISBN 1902578120.  - Total pages: 215
• Bronson, Charles; Richards, Stephen. Insanity: My Mad Life (31 March 2004 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1844540308.  - Total pages: 335
• Bronson, Charles. Bronson 2: More Porridge Than Goldilocks (2 November 2009 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1844548600. - Total pages: 304
• Bronson, Charles; Richards, Stephen. The Krays and Me (30 April 2007 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1844543250.  - Total pages: 288
• Bronson, Charles. Loonyology: In My Own Words (2 November 2009 ed.). Apex Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1906358117. - Total pages: 466
• Bronson, Charles. Diaries from Hell: Charles Bronson - My Prison Diaries (1 May 2009 ed.). Y Lolfa. ISBN 1847711162. - Total pages: 464
• Bronson, Charles; Richards, Stephen (1999). The Charles Bronson Book of Poems: Birdman Opens His Mind Bk. 1 (1 May 1999 ed.). Mirage. ISBN 1902578031.  - Total pages: 78
• Bronson, Charles; Currie, Tel (2005). Heroes and Villains: The Good, the Mad, the Bad and the Ugly (5 August 2005 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1844541185.  - Total pages: 288
• Bronson, Charles; Richards, Stephen (2007). The Good Prison Guide (28 February 2007 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1844543595.  - Total pages: 288
• Bronson, Charles; Richards, Stephen. Silent Scream: The Charles Bronson Story (5 September 1999 ed.). Mirage. ISBN 1902578082.  - Total pages: 248
• Bronson, Charles. Emmins, Mark. ed. Con-artist (19 December 2008 ed.). Matador. ISBN 1848760485.  - Total pages: 108
• Bronson, Charles; Bronson, Charles. Bronson 3 - Up on the roof (6 September 2010 ed.). John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1843581906.  - Total pages: 288

External links

• The Official Charles Bronson website
• Bronson the movie website
• "Art by Charles Bronson". ArtBelow. http://www.artbelow.org.uk/artists/charlesbronson. 
• Video documentary on Charles Bronson aka Michael Gordon Peterson