Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her back

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Irene reckons Charles Bronson wants to renew their relationship (Image: Tom Maddick / SWNS)
Irene reckons Charles Bronson wants to renew their relationship (Image: Tom Maddick / SWNS)

Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson lavished a Christmas hamper on his ex-wife.

The "luxury" gift included wine, cheese and chocolate in a display of affection to try and rekindle their relationship. The infamous lag sent Irene Dunroe the festive gift from inside HMP Woodhill. Irene, 71, and Bronson, 70, divorced in 1976 but stayed in touch - and met up for the first time in 50 years in August. Irene says Bronson - Britain's most notorious prisoner - wants to rekindle their relationship when he's released.

And he showed his affection this Christmas by sending the hamper - complete with a big gold bow.Mum-of-three Irene, who works in Ann Summers, said she returned home to find the present waiting earlier this week. She said: "I received his lovely hamper on Wednesday. It's done in a great big gold bow - he's very generous and he always wants to know if I need something.

Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her back qhiquqiqriqzrinvBronson surprised his ex-wife with a Christmas hamper (Lindsey Parnaby/REX/Shutterstock)

‌"He's a gentle giant and wants to make people happy. It had a lovely bottle of red wine, two great big wheels of cheese, chocolate, peanuts, crisps, biscuits, some lovely jams and marmalades and some pickles. It was like a lucky dip of luxury stuff!"

Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her backThe card which came with the hamper
Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her backIt also came with a neat bow

‌Irene, from Brimstage, Merseyside. and Bronson met when they were teenagers and married soon after. She said she was taken by his dapper dress sense - and Cockney accent. He was then known as Michael Peterson, but Irene still affectionately calls him Mick. They married in 1971 and have a son, also called Michael, now aged 51. But the pair divorced just five years later while Bronson was serving time for armed robbery.

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Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her backCharles Bronson is said to be 'Britain's most notorious prisoner' (REX/Shutterstock)
Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her backBronson changed his name to Charles Arthur Salvador (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

‌Both remarried, Bronson twice and Irene once. She also had two other children with her second husband. Irene says she'll be thinking of Bronson this Christmas - and is confident of his potential release in 2025, despite his parole being rejected earlier this year.

She said: "He will get his freedom in this next parole in March 2025 and I know he'll be getting out then. They can't keep him inside for nothing anymore. A lot of the songs we used to sing together all came out in December. My mum always used to do a stocking for me when I was little. One Christmas I was telling Mick this. And the last year before he went inside he did a stocking for me and he filled it up. It had a lovely purple negligee which was all frilly - it was gorgeous. I'll never forget that. He just wants to make me happy."

Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her backIrene is confident Bronson will eventually be freed (Tom Maddick / SWNS)

Irene visited Bronson in August to talk in person for the first time in almost five decades after exchanging phone calls and letters. His ex had hoped to see him again before Christmas but couldn't make it work. She said: "We were going to see him again before Christmas but I just couldn't get the time off from work. We'll be going after Christmas so that'll be nice - no later than February."

Charles Bronson sends Christmas hamper to ex-wife from jail to win her backIrene arriving at H.M.P Woodhill to visit her ex-husband in August this year (Tom Maddick SWNS)

‌Bronson has spent most of his life behind bars. He was first jailed in 1974, aged 22, when he was given seven years for armed robbery. But bad behaviour inside gave him a reputation as a dangerous inmate, and he wasn't released until 1987. He then spent just 69 days as a free man before being rearrested and jailed again after robbing a jewellery shop.

‌He was sentenced to another seven years and, bar another brief spell of freedom in 1992, has been in prison since. He was last denied parole in March 2023.

Jake Meeus-Jones

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