Charles Bronson 'finds it hard to believe' parole board not seen his Channel 4 documentary
Charles Bronson has said he finds it “hard to believe” his parole board panel has not seen his documentary.
Bronson, one of Britain’s most notorious prisoners who has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, gave evidence on Monday on the first of his three-day parole hearing.
The parole hearing is only the second in British history open to the press and public. Bronson will only be considered for release if the parole board believes he is now a low risk to the public.
At the beginning of Monday’s hearing, the panel chairman said that while the panel was “aware” of the recent Channel 4 documentary, Bronson: Fit to be Freed?, they had not seen it.
Wearing his trademark dark sunglasses and a black suit, Bronson shouted from the other side of the table to the chairman: “I find that hard to believe!”
Bronson was secretly filmed for the documentary being coached into expressing remorse for his crimes, and giving evidence on Monday he said "I've had 11 hostages, I'm not proud of it but I'm not ashamed of it. Am I sorry? Maybe. Would I do it again, definitely not?"
The panel heard that Bronson had two confrontations with prison staff members as late as December last year, although he claims he is now “anti-violent”.
In one incident last November, the prisoner, who now goes by the name Charles Salvador, complimented a prison nurse on her blouse and touched her shirt, asking if it was silk.
Bronson told a prison governor to 'f--- off'
The staff member said it made her feel uncomfortable, and he told her to "f--- off", Bronson's prison offender manager told the hearing.
The following month, on December 9, Bronson told a prison governor to "f--- off".
Bronson is currently assessed as a medium risk to staff and fellow inmates but is still a Category-A prisoner held in the close supervision centre (CSC) at Woodhill Prison near Milton Keynes.
The panel heard that he remains in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day because of staff shortages in the prison.
Bronson was first imprisoned in 1974 for armed robbery, but a string of violent offences while in custody has seen him spend most of the past decade behind bars.
He was handed a discretionary life sentence in 2000 for taking Phil Daniel, a prison art teacher, hostage with a makeshift spear in a siege that lasted two days.
Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, is opposing his parole and will argue that Bronson is a high risk of serious harm to the public.
