Charles Bronson is one of the UK’s longest-serving inmates and has been dubbed one of Britain’s most violent offenders.

Mr Bronson is this week undergoing a parole review, as he makes his latest bid for freedom. 

His parole review took place at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes - where he is currently incarcerated - and was watched by members of the press and public on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

He appeared in front of the panel of Parole Board judges yesterday and the hearing is due to continue tomorrow. 

Chester and District Standard: Charles Bronson's parole review is taking place this week.Charles Bronson's parole review is taking place this week. (Image: PA Media)

Who is Charles Bronson?

Mr Bronson was born in Luton in 1952 as Michael Peterson.

He was raised in Aberystwyth, while also having spent time in Ellesmere Port as a teenager. 

He has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom where he reoffended with a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences. 

During his time in incarceration, he has held 11 hostages in nine different sieges – with victims including governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.

During the hearing yesterday, Mr Bronson said he felt remorse for taking art teacher Phil Danielson hostage in 1999, but not the governor of Hull prison Adrian Wallace, or three Iraqi inmates he held at Belmarsh.

Mr Bronson is now known as Charles Salvador, having also briefly changed his name to Charles Ali Ahmed while married to his second wife, Fatema Saira Rehman. 

He has been married three times to Irene Kelsey from 1972-1975, Ms Rehman from 2001 to 2005 and Paula Williamson from 2017 to 2019. 

He has one son, Michael Jonathan Peterson, from his first marriage to Ms Kelsey.

A YouTube video also surfaced last week which looks to show Mr Bronson in prison calling out SAS: Who Dares Wins host and former special operatives soldier Ant Middleton for a fight. 

The short clip shows Mr Bronson challenging Mr Middleton to a "strengthener", going on to say he wouldn't last one round.

What is Charles Bronson in prison for?

His list of offences includes:

  • Mr Bronson’s first conviction was in 1974, when he was 21, and was jailed for seven years for robbery, aggravated burglary, assault with intent to rob and possession of a firearm.
  • He was convicted for wounding again in 1975, 1978 and 1985, and then in 1987 he was released from prison at the age of 34.
  • After 69 days he was back in prison, sentenced in 1988 to seven years for robbery at a jeweller’s shop.
  • He was later released from prison in 1992, but weeks later was jailed for eight years for intent to rob and has been behind bars since then for violent offences committed while in custody.
  • In 1994 he was given seven years for false imprisonment and blackmail, then in 1997 he took a deputy prison governor, staff and three inmates hostage for which he received five years.
  • Later, in 1999, he took an art teacher hostage for three days and was given a life sentence with a minimum term of three years which expired in 2003.
  • In 2014 he was further sentenced to three years for assaulting a prison governor.

Charles Bronson parole - when will a decision be made?

Mr Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process.

Chester and District Standard: The public has been able to watch Charles Bronson recent hearing.The public has been able to watch Charles Bronson recent hearing. (Image: PA)

The Parole Board will decide whether he should remain behind bars after the hearing, which is taking place over three days this week.

A decision is due at a later date.

The hearing resumes on Wednesday.