‘NO DANGER’ I fought to free UK’s most notorious prisoner – he took 11 HOSTAGES but I think Bronson should walk
Charles Bronson flooded lawyer Marcus Johnstone with original artwork and notes over the course of a year, giving a major insight into his psyche.
HE’S Britain’s most notorious prisoner, having spent most of the last 50 years incarcerated for violent offences and taking at least 11 people hostage.
Despite numerous Parole Board appeals, his release has always been refused – but Charles Bronson’s former lawyer has told The Sun why the time is right for him to finally regain his freedom.
Marcus Johnstone worked closely with the infamous lag – real name Michael Gordon Peterson – for nearly a year at HMP Woodhill prior to a failed appeal procedure in 2003.
Now, he believes Bronson – famously played by Tom Hardy in a 2008 biopic – is no longer a risk to the public, adding: “There’s worse people on the streets than him.”
Bronson, now 72 and calling himself Charles Salvador, was originally jailed for armed robbery in 1974, but despite brief releases in 1987 and 1992, he continued to commit crimes – both inside and out, including robberies and attacking fellow inmates – which have seen him returned to prison, or his incarceration extended.
In one incident, he attacked a lag with a glass jug and in another got a prison governor in a headlock – as well as causing £250,000 worth of damage during a rooftop protest at Broadmoor.
He held 11 different people hostage during nine sieges – the final of which saw him kidnapping prison teacher Phil Danielson in 1999 during a 44-hour standoff.
‘He’s just institutionalised now’
Mr Johnstone told The Sun: “I don’t think by any means he’s the most dangerous prisoner but he’s probably the most discerning one.
“He’s just institutionalised now.
“That’s the problem, you get to the stage where a prisoner has spent that much time in prison they can’t really be released because they can’t cope on the outside – they don’t know what it’s like on the outside.”
Mr Johnstone said he never met the inmate in person, as the whole appeal process was document-based – but instead the lag flooded him with copious letters, scribblings and artwork, all of which he’s kept.
“We actually got a decent relationship with him over letters,” he continued.
“That was in the days before prisoners had access to email and they didn’t have as many free phone calls.”
He continued: “He’s a remarkable artist, probably still is. He’s an interesting character… he’s had a colourful life.”
He added: “He’s done a drawing of me and others are artwork that he does, commenting on something.
“He used to go on a lot about his treatment in prison. I think he was dealt with quite severely by the authorities, probably more so than the other prisoners.
“A lot of the time he was in solitary confinement, very tightly regulated. The drawings largely reflected him as a prisoner caged up.
“There was always a lot of bars and things being caged up, away from the outside world.”
Mr Johnstone continued: “He used to draw a lot of birds. They’re all one-offs, originals, they’re all done for me.
“It’s nice to have them. It’s sad the system can’t do something for him. Why we’ve got to keep him locked up. I don’t think he’s a danger anymore now.
“There’s worse people on the streets than him.”
Mr Johnstone said he has many of the letters and drawings hanging up in his office.
Asked whether, separating himself from his job at the time, he believed Bronson was fit to be released in 2004, he said: “As much as anyone who’s been in prison a long time is.”
The solicitor went on to say that many of the “lifers” he has dealt with over the years – during which he had worked across almost every prison in the UK – often have to be re-taught how to do everyday activities.
Mr Johnstone explained that when a lag serving a life sentence is getting close to release, they are transitioned to “open conditions”, and often will have escorted visits with prison guards into the community.
“But they have to learn how to cross the road, they have to learn how to buy a stamp, some of them haven’t dealt with modern currency,” he said.
“If it was the old money when they went into prison, they’ve never dealt with new money, and don’t understand.
“They come out of prison 20 years later and they can’t use a pelican crossing.”
He went on to say: “Then you think, ‘How do you expect those people to cope back in society?’
“And they can’t, and within a matter of time they end up re-offending. It’s sad, really.”
Who is Charles Bronson?
Charles Bronson was born on December 6, 1952, with the Luton local quickly turning to gang fights in his youth.
He was first imprisoned in 1974.
Armed robber Bronson has seen his sentence repeatedly increased for attacking prison staff and taking them hostage.
Writing in his 2000 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”.
Bronson has changed his name a number of times, with his different titles defining certain periods in his life.
Born Michael Gordon Peterson, he changed his name to Charles Bronson during a short stint of freedom in 1987.
He turned to bareknuckle boxing, where his promoter gave him the name Charles Bronson, after the Hollywood actor.
However, he returned to prison in 1988.
The criminal briefly converted to Islam in 2001 and became known as Charles Ali Ahmed after marrying Fatema Saira Rehman – a woman who had started to write to him during his time behind bars.
He was the subject of the 2008 film Bronson starring Tom Hardy, which detailed his life and time in jail.
Hardy spoke to Bronson over the phone in order to prepare for the role.
In August 2014, Charles announced he was legally changing his name to Charles Salvador – a tribute to the artist Salvador Dali.
He has married three times – his first marriage was in 1971 before his first arrest.
Why is he in prison?
Bronson was first sentenced to seven years in jail after being convicted of armed robbery in 1974 – which was extended by nine months after he attacked a fellow prisoner with a glass jug.
He later attempted to strangle Gordon Robinson while at Broadmoor, before causing £250,000 worth of damage when he staged a three-day protest on a rooftop.
The serial criminal was eventually released in 1987 – it was then he changed his name to Charles Bronson on the advice of his bare-knuckle boxing promoter.
But it was not long before he was back in jail, after robbing a jewellery shop in 1988 and sentenced to seven more years inside.
Bronson was released early from his sentence in 1992 – but was back behind bars 53 days later for intent to commit robbery.
After holding three men hostage in his cell, the Luton lad saw another seven years added to his sentence – although this was cut to five on appeal.
Following further incidents, he was finally given a life sentence after kidnapping prison teacher Phil Danielson in 1999, causing destruction to the prison.
After being held at a number of prisons across the country – including Belmarsh – he returned to HM Prison Woodhill in 2018, where Bronson is still incarcerated.
