Charles Bronson, a notorious inmate serving a life sentence, has been filmed singing a song for his mother as he undergoes his ninth parole hearing, which is expected to conclude soon. The 73-year-old convicted armed robber has spent most of the past five decades behind bars since his initial jailing in 1974.
In the video, recorded at HMP Long Lartin in April of last year, Bronson dedicates the song "What A Wonderful World" to his 96-year-old mother, Eira Peterson, who has been unable to visit him for several years. He addresses her as "Duchess" and expresses his enduring love and hope for a future reunion, mentioning a "cup of tea and a lovely slice of apple pie."
Bronson, whose birth name is Michael Gordon Peterson, has maintained a fearsome reputation throughout his incarceration, marked by violence against prisoners and staff, rooftop protests, and hostage sieges. In 1999, he held prison art teacher Phil Danielson hostage for 44 hours, an incident that led to an indefinite life sentence for false imprisonment in 2000.
Despite repeated parole rejections, Bronson is reportedly optimistic about his current bid for freedom. One of his lawyers indicated that Bronson has "high hopes he can see his mother this year." The parole process involves multiple stages, with the oral hearing concluding on November 3. A fellow inmate, who wished to remain anonymous, described Bronson as having "a heart of gold" and stated that the video "shows he's a human, not a monster."
Bronson was first jailed at age 21 for armed robbery. He experienced brief releases in 1987 and again five years later, but has been in custody continuously since his return in 1993. His most recent criminal conviction involved an attack on a prison governor in 2014. Previous parole panels have consistently ruled that he cannot be safely managed outside a high-security prison environment.