Inside violent thug Charles Bronson’s bizarre prison hobby turned lucrative hustle making lag £100k while locked up

CHARLES Bronson’s bizarre prison hobby turned into a lucrative hustle – and made the infamous lag £100k while locked up.

Britain’s most notorious prisoner, 70, was back in court yesterday for the second day of his bid for freedom after 50 years behind bars.

And the panel was told how Bronson’s artwork had been sold for thousands since he took up the hobby.

Author Richard Booth told the hearing he has known Charles Bronson for around nine years, first meeting him while working on a prisoner education project.

They now speak on the phone four or five times per day, and plan to set up a charity to sell Bronson’s artwork to help children from impoverished backgrounds access the arts, he told the panel.

Mr Booth said pieces of Bronson’s art sell for anywhere from £800 to £30,000 – but later clarified that none had actually sold for the higher amount.

And he told the panel that in one night at a recent special event selling Bronson’s pieces they raised £67,000.

Bronson’s sold art has so far raised around £100,000, of which a third is planned to go to the charitable foundation.

The remaining two-thirds is held in a separate account but is not for profit.

Bronson had previously said that he spends 23 hours a day in his cell, with a large part of it doing art.

As Mr Booth left the room, Bronson said: “You’re a legend mate.”

Notorious lag Bronson had his case heard publicly Monday and today.

During Monday’s proceedings Bronson openly discussed his crimes and time behind bars – before trying to convince the court he is a changed man.

They include holding 11 people hostage across nine sieges with victims being governors, doctors and even his own solicitor.

Bronson admitted he had no remorse about taking a governor hostage, had won £1,500 placing football bets behind bars and loved fighting in jail house brawls.

Bronson said: “I was born to have a rumble, I love to have a rumble.

“But I’m 70 now. It can become embarrassing. You have to grow up sooner or later.”

He also described one fight, when he greased himself up with Lurpak spread while naked in a 2018, as the “rumble of my life, adding: “I f*****g loved it.”

But despite saying he was sick of his violent ways – the notorious lag could not resist boasting of his most shocking crimes.

Reflecting on his attacks on numerous prison governors and other workers, he told the hearing he “couldn’t stop taking hostages”.

FREEDOM BID

The hearing was told the prisoner was first sent to jail in 1974 at the age of 21 – and it’s been his lifestyle ever since.

He spent time in solitary confinement and specialist units for his violent outbursts towards other inmates.

In 1974 he was jailed for seven years after being convicted of armed robbery – which was extended by nine months after he attacked a fellow prisoner with a glass jug.

He later attempted to strangle Gordon Robinson while at Broadmoor, before causing £250,000 worth of damage when he staged a three-day protest on a rooftop.

He was released in 1987 but soon returned a year later for intent to commit robbery.

After holding three men hostage in his cell, the Luton lad saw another seven years added to his sentence – although this was cut to five on appeal.

Following further incidents, he was finally given a life sentence after kidnapping prison teacher Phil Danielson in 1999, causing destruction to the prison.

If the risks are deemed low, there is a possibility he could be released on a life licence.

But he has been turned down repeatedly since 2002 after being dubbed a threat to the public.