Charles Bronson, Britain's longest serving inmate, faces fresh fight for freedom

One of Britain’s most notorious prisoners, Charles Bronson, is once again on the verge of a high-stakes parole review that will decide his fate.

The 73-year-year old has spent more than five decades behind bars after first being jailed in 1974.

What was Charles Bronson convicted of?

He was released briefly but has remained incarcerated ever since due to a series of violent incidents inside prison. The timeline of his imprisonment includes:

• Initial conviction (1974): Armed robbery, sentenced to seven years.
• Repeated violence in prison: Multiple assault incidents on staff and fellow inmates, leading to extended sentences.
• Hostage Taking incidents: Involved in 11 hostage situations in nine different sieges, including taking a prison teacher hostage for 44 hours in 2000, which earned him a discretionary life sentence.

In addition to these incidents, he remained involved in incidents like assaults on governors, doctors, and even his own solicitor.

Is Charles Bronson being released?

The recent parole will determine whether he can ever walk free. Unlike earlier hearings, the latest review is being conducted as a paper exercise.

A panel will consider written submissions from prison officials, psychiatrists, probation staff and Bronson’s legal team to assess whether he poses a manageable risk to the public.

The parole review comes after Bronson initially dismissed the process, reportedly firing his legal team and refusing to engage after being denied a public hearing.

A new solicitor is understood to have secured a postponement, enabling the panel to proceed with the assessment.