Charles Bronson on prison, his violent past and his wishes for the future
Giving evidence in what is only the second ever parole hearing to be held in public in England and Wales, Bronson held forth on various topics.
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Your support makes all the difference.Prisoner Charles Bronson, who has spent nearly 50 years behind bars, gave a colourful account of his time in prison during his parole hearing on Monday.
Giving evidence in what is only the second ever parole hearing to be held in public in England and Wales, Bronson held forth on various topics.
ā On the current conditions in prison:
Bronson said in the past he has been on wings that were ācold, empty and f****** brutalā, but now things are much more comfortable.
He told the panel: āIāve got a telly in my cell, I canāt even believe it.ā
But he said unlike other inmates who have their own bedding, photographs on the walls and comforts such as CD and DVD players, he likes to know he has woken up in a cell.
āI donāt want my cell to be a furnished bedsit ā¦ Unfortunately prison today is full of fairies,ā he said.
Describing his time as an unlicensed boxer, he told the hearing: āI love boxing, my father was a great champion boxer, it is a fraternity, it is a family ā¦ we used to box in prison but they are run by namby-pamby people now,ā he said.
He said that east London gangsters the Krays had got him into boxing, and that he had six fights ā five against men and one against a Rottweiler.
ā On why he changed his name from Charles Bronson in 2014:
Born Michael Peterson, he later changed his name to Charles Bronson while forging a career as an unlicensed boxer, he said for tax purposes.
In 2014 he decided to change his surname to Salvador, which he said means āman of peaceā, dismissing any suggested link to Salvador Dali.
āBronson was a nasty bastard,ā he said. āHe wasnāt a nice person and I didnāt like him. Salvador is a man of peace. I feel peaceful.ā
Describing his criminal history, he said: āOut of the 50 years Iāve been in prison, I have probably deserved a good 35 years of it ā¦ but I have been naughty. Not ānaughty-naughtyā, but naughty.ā
If some muppet wants to fight me or cause me problems I will handle it in a different way
ā On how he is now:
He describes himself as āa born again artistā and says he is āalmost an angelā compared with the past.
āWhen Iām in my cell and Iāve got a bad letter, or somethingās happened, or someone has been nasty or whatever, I can sit in my cell now and switch off, and go into myself with deep breathing,ā Bronson told the panel.
He said he is ājust a normal geezer wanting to get on with his lifeā, and assured the panel: āIf some muppet wants to fight me or cause me problems I will handle it in a different way.ā
Bronson told the panel he has spent so much time in solitary confinement he wears dark glasses because his eyes are āblown away with the lightā.
Itās no secret I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Iām sick of it
ā On what he wants to happen in the future:
Bronson said: āItās no secret I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Iām sick of it. Iāve had enough of it, I want to go home.ā
He dreams of walking barefoot on a lawn and plans to go and live in the country if he is released.
Bronson said: āI have not walked on grass for over 30 years and I dream of walking on grass.ā
ā On his mother, with whom he has recently got back in touch:
Referring to the 95-year-old as āmy old duchessā, he said it is her wish to see him released.
āYou people have got the power to let me out, thatās my mumās last dream on this planet, to see her son outside, doing well, making an honest living with my art, as you know Iām anti-crime,ā he said.
āIf youāve got any heart, any compassion, give it to my mum and make an old ladyās dream come true.ā
ā On why he took people hostage:
Bronson, who has taken hostages on nine different occasions while in prison, said: āI was a horrible person and I couldnāt stop taking hostages.
āI went through a phase, I couldnāt help taking hostages.
āI was battling against the system ā¦ it was my way of getting back.
āThereās nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey.ā
ā On enjoying fighting:
Bronson said: āI love a rumble. What man doesnāt?ā
Describing one incident, in which the parole review was told he stripped naked and āgreased upā, he said: āI took half a tub of Lurpak with me, stripped off and had the rumble of my life. It was f****** brilliant.ā
He said during his earlier years in prison he ālost the plotā, adding: āThe only thing I knew was violence.ā