Robert Maudsley, the notorious British serial killer dubbed 'Hannibal the Cannibal,' has broken a 40-year silence to detail his life in maximum-security prisons, expressing his discontent with solitary confinement conditions. For the first time in decades, Maudsley's voice has been heard through a recording of a recent prison phone call to his nephew, shared with the Daily Mail.
Maudsley, who has killed four times, including three murders within prison walls since his first offense in 1974 at age 21, is currently housed in a special unit for dangerous offenders with personality disorders at HMP Whitemoor, a Category A security prison in Cambridgeshire.
He claims to have spent 48 years in solitary confinement, a period that may be a world record. In the recent call, Maudsley complained about an increased security level that requires a senior prison officer to be present whenever his cell is unlocked and adds to the staff needed when he is escorted. He stated he has been denied visits for the past 13 months, only being allowed closed visits where he and his visitors are separated by a glass screen. "What they're actually saying is, 'we want you to talk to staff'," he said.
Maudsley described being locked in his cell for 22 hours a day, with his only exercise taking place in the exercise yard. He expressed frustration that prison staff do not initiate conversations, saying, "If they want to talk to me, all they have to do is come to my cell and say, 'Bob, do you want to have a talk?' or 'Bob, do you want to engage?' For 13 months, not one member of staff has ever come to my cell asking me to talk to them or asked me to engage with them."
His family, who refer to him as 'Uncle Bob,' believe the conditions he endures are inhumane and that his violence, which targeted sex offenders and paedophiles, should be viewed differently. His nephew, Gavin Mawdsley, is seeking to raise £30,000 for a ghostwriter to produce a book about his uncle's experiences.
A History of Violence
Maudsley's troubling history began in Toxteth, Liverpool, in 1953. He was one of 12 children, and he and his siblings spent time in an orphanage before he returned home to suffer severe physical abuse from his parents. He later struggled with drug addiction and was placed in psychiatric hospitals after suicide attempts.
His first murder occurred in 1974 when he killed John Farrell, a labourer, after Farrell showed him child abuse imagery. Maudsley confessed and was declared unfit to stand trial, sent to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital. In 1977, he and another inmate held a paedophile patient hostage for nine hours, during which the victim was tortured. Following this, Maudsley was convicted of manslaughter and transferred to HMP Wakefield.
Within a year at Wakefield, Maudsley committed two more murders. He killed fellow inmates Salney Darwood and Bill Roberts, who had both committed sexual offenses. After these killings, he began his long period of solitary confinement.
Current Conditions and Complaints
Maudsley was moved to HMP Whitemoor last year after complaints about his PlayStation being confiscated at HMP Wakefield. He reported that his current prison governor has disallowed visits, further increasing his isolation. He also mentioned that his security grading has been increased, requiring more staff supervision.
He has vowed to go on hunger strike to protest what he calls inhumane treatment, discrimination, and victimisation. "I've been discriminated against and I've been victimised and they think they can get away with it," he stated. "A hunger strike is the only way I can protest."
Maudsley expressed regret over his current regime, which he feels limits him to just one hour in an exercise yard, contrasting it with his previous conditions at HMP Wakefield where he had more structured time for exercise, gym, and showering. He also complained that his request for 'group association' with two fellow prisoners, including Kevan Thakrar, who is also serving life for murder and has spent a decade in solitary confinement, was not answered.
"Mr Thakrar and myself are the only single unlock inmates in F Wing, HMP Whitemoor," Maudsley said. "If we were unlocked together to play a game of chess, this will be beneficial to our mental health."
He also stated that his current psychologist has only suggested reassessment, leading him to refuse further one-on-one meetings. "I'm standing up for my rights," Maudsley asserted. "I want to be treated humanely, with dignity and respect, and because I'm fighting for that, they've got annoyed and upset. It's a joke."