Inside 'Britain's most dangerous killer' Robert Maudsley's Christmas in glass cell
by Anders Anglesey · ChronicleLiveRobert Maudsley, dubbed Britain's "most dangerous" serial killer and known as Hannibal the Cannibal, will spend Christmas alone in an underground glass cell. Maudsley holds the record for the longest-serving British prisoner in solitary confinement, having spent over 216,800 consecutive days alone since his imprisonment for murder in 1974.
Initially jailed at 21 for the murder of child abuser John Farrell, 30, he was deemed too dangerous for a regular prison cell after killing convicted child molesters and rapists. Since 1983, Maudsley has resided in an 18ft by 15ft glass cell deep within Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire.
The 71-year-old is set to spend Christmas Day in this cell, where he is confined for 23 hours daily. He will never be released from prison and will remain in this small room for life.
His cell features bulletproof windows, a table and chair made from compressed cardboard, a lavatory and sink bolted to the floor, and a door with a small slot at the bottom for food delivery. In 2021, his appeal to spend Christmas with other inmates was denied.
Despite expressing a desire to "wanted to spend Christmas in the presence of other humans," he was told no, as previously reported by the Daily Star, reports the Mirror.
Maudsley became the UK's longest-serving prisoner after the death of Moors murderer Ian Brady, who served 51 years in prison and died in 2017. During his time behind bars, he killed three men and has remained incarcerated.
After the murders, Maudsley was deemed too dangerous to be housed with other inmates, leading to the construction of his current cell. He once likened his cell to "like being buried alive in a coffin," and has previously campaigned for improved treatment.
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Gavin, Maudsley's nephew from Liverpool, told Channel 5's Evil Behind Bars that the killer had come to terms with his fate: "He's asking to be on his own because he knows what can happen. Put him on a wing surrounded by rapists and paedophiles - I know this because he told us - he was going to kill as many paedophiles as he could. I'm not condoning what he did."
"He did very bad things. But he didn't kill a child or woman. An innocent person didn't go to work that day and never returned home. The people he killed were really bad people."
A former officer at Strangeways prison told The Manchester Evening News that Maudsley should be removed from solitary confinement. Neil Samworth, who worked at Strangeways, has shared his experiences in two books and believes Maudsley should be taken out of solitary confinement.
He stated in February of this year: "I think it's wrong the way he has been treated. He is in total isolation and is not fair. I think his crimes are historic now and he represents no real danger to others. It's a bit like Charlie Bronson. Yes, he has had lots of fights in the past but he is an old man now.'".