CHARLES Bronson has spoken about serving time in HMP Risley as he stands trial accused of attacking a prison governor.
The 65-year-old is currently on trial at Leeds Crown Court and denies causing grievous bodily harm to HMP Wakefield governor Mark Docherty.
During his evidence, he described his first spell as a prison at HMP Risley – entering the remand centre in 1968 at the age of 16.
He told the jury: “Before I go into it, I am going to pull no punches.
“I am going to take you on a journey and a ride into my life - my world which is a million miles away from yours.”
Bronson told the court he enjoyed an ‘honest living’ as an unlicensed prize fighter – winning all his six fights, in which he faced five men and a Rottweiler.
He then described seeing someone die for the first time, when a youth in a cell next to his took his own life.
The defendant, whose real name is Charles Arthur Salvador, said: “That boy was in for taking and driving away a car – he went into Risley and left in a body bag.
“That’s always played on mind that, and over many years I have seen other deaths – horrible, horrible deaths.”
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Bronson described prison officers in the 1960s and 1970s as being ‘literally military men’.
He added: “There were no women – they did not f*** about, believe me.
“If you threw a right-hander, they would throw 20 back – make no mistake about that.”
Bronson then told the court about becoming involved in prison violence and being subjected to straightjackets and body belts.
He said: “I was in and out of body belts all the time – I believe I am the only man in the prison system who had his own belt.”
In 1978, he was certified insane at Parkhurst prison before being moved to asylums at Broadmoor, Rampton and Ashworth.
Bronson was then transferred back to the prison system, holding 11 hostages during nine different sieges.
He told the court: “I arrived at Broadmoor super fit – within two years I was 19st, fat, lazy and tired.
“I was not a very well man – I was only a young man, that’s what the drugs do to you.
“I have held governors, staff and doctors hostage – I’m not proud of it and not ashamed of it, I have been severely punished for it.
“I have been on nine prison rooves – I have been told that I have probably caused about £5m damage to rooves.”
Bronson added that his ‘head would go’ at times in the 1970s and 1980s and he would attack a number of prison officers at a time.
He is now in a category A prison in isolation and ‘probably will be for years to come’.
But the defendant told the court that before this incident with the HMP Wakefield governor he was ‘acutally not doing bad’ and his ‘life was picking up’ – passing a violence reduction course.
Bronson said: “It’s very painful to do – looking at yourself, trying to change your mind and your life, and I passed it.”
A former prison officer – a ‘tough old screw’ – had inspired Bronson a number of years ago, telling him: “You have got to pull your socks up, the way you are going you will never get out.”
The officer gave Bronson a pile of papers and a pencil.
He added: “I started doing art and I wrote books – I have 18 books published.
“I am an artist – some of my art sells for good money, it all goes to charity.”
The trial continues.
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