Britain's most notorious prisoner, Charles Bronson, reportedly staged a protest at HMP Wakefield after being served apple crumble without custard. The 73-year-old refused orders to leave an exercise yard, prompting officers in riot gear to force him back to his cell in the segregation unit.
Incident Details
The chain of events began at dinner on Monday when Bronson received one of his favourite desserts. The apple crumble arrived without its usual custard, leaving the veteran inmate 'infuriated', according to a prison source. The following day, during his allocated exercise time, Bronson decided to make his point by staging a sit-down protest when ordered to return inside.
A source at the Category A prison, nicknamed 'Monster Mansion', told the Daily Mail: 'He was told more than once that exercise time was over and that he needed to come back inside, but he simply dug his heels in. With Bronson, even something as small as a pudding can become a major security headache because officers cannot afford to assume he is bluffing.'
Stand-off and Resolution
The incident took place in a yard linked to Wakefield's Close Supervision Centre, where some of the jail's most violent prisoners are held. Three teams of three officers surrounded Bronson once it became clear he wasn't going to comply. The source claimed: 'Bronson ran at the shield, looked to the sky and shouted, “This is for Reggie Kray.”' He was then returned to his cell without major incident.
Bronson's Background
Bronson, legally known as Charles Salvador, has spent most of his life in prison since first being jailed for armed robbery and wounding in 1974 at age 22. His record includes attacks on staff and inmates, rooftop protests, and hostage sieges. In 1999, he held prison art teacher Phil Danielson hostage for 44 hours. He received an indefinite life sentence for false imprisonment in 2000, with a minimum term that expired in 2003, but successive Parole Board panels have deemed him unsafe for release.
Currently, Bronson reportedly spends 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, unable to associate with other prisoners. He was transferred to Wakefield from HMP Long Lartin after attacking another prisoner.
Impact on Parole Hearing
The custard protest comes as Bronson prepares for another parole hearing in November. He had hoped for a gradual reduction in security conditions, potentially leading to eventual release. The prison source suggested the incident could hurt his chances: 'He wants to persuade the Parole Board that he has changed, that he can control himself yet he's causing a major disturbance over missing custard. Incidents like this raise the obvious question of whether he has been rehabilitated.'
A Prison Service spokesman declined to comment on individual prisoners.
