Woman obsessed with Charles Bronson gets huge tattoo of criminal on her thigh
A Charles Bronson superfan with a huge tattoo of the infamous crim says that the UK's most dangerous prisoner is misunderstood - and should be released.
Demi Keeler has been hooked on Bronson, who changed his name to Charles Salvador, since she saw the Tom Hardy biopic in 2008.
Since then, she's read every article she can find about the armed robber, picked up his books, and she's taken it one step further by getting a huge tattoo of his face.
On her upper thigh, in a detailed black and white sketch, there's a huge bust of Tom Hardy's Charles Bronson, complete with iconic grin and curling moustache.
Demi Keeler's tattoo of her hero, Charles Bronson (Demi Keeler)
He's spent most of his years behind bars (PA)What do you think about Demi's tattoo? Let us know in the comments...
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Demi said: "I love Tom Hardy and I have a deep fascination with Bronson as an individual and what better way (to show it) than to have both of them displayed on my body as a work of art?
"It shows a cheeky and comical side to Charles. He has a strong sense of humour and I can just imagine him grinning away.
"It gets mixed reviews. Some people really appreciate the work of art but many question why I would have this particular individual on my body.
"My mum questioned it at first, and questioned the interest, but she did say that the tattooist did a very good job. She has always been a very supportive mother and is supportive of my life choices and decisions."
Charles Bronson has been behind bars most of his life (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Demi has been an avid Bronson fan for the past 15 years but she says she can understand why people question the interest, and she admits that her idol has done things wrong.
She continued: "Admire is probably the wrong word if I am honest. Using the word admire would probably offend a lot of people as that means glorifying his behaviour and his offences.
"We are all aware of the hostage-taking and the violence that he has inflicted on people over the years.
"Whilst I do not agree with the behaviour, from a psychology point of view I can understand to a degree.
He is currently going through a public parole board hearing (Julia Quenzler / SWNS)"He has been in prison for over 40 years for crimes maybe less severe than others. People who have committed far greater crimes have all received lower sentences than Charles.
"He was, as he puts it, 'protesting the justice system' that he feels has wronged him.
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Demi has been collecting Bronson memorabilia for a while (Demi Keeler)"He is also going through these states of violence because he is bored, being locked up day and night.
"He has been moved from prison to prison over the years and locked up in solitary confinement in dark cells which has affected his health and caused him to require dark glasses due to having eyes sensitive to light.
"A positive, that I would like to point out would be his ability to 'cope' with being in prison for such a long period of his life and still manage to be himself and stay mentally strong.
"There are many people that would not have been able to survive day to day, not knowing when they would be allowed to walk amongst society again."
Bronson has lived most of his life behind bars, after he started his life of crime at 13-years-old when he joined a gang of robbers.
Charles Bronson could walk free from prison (Lindsey Parnaby/REX/Shutterstock)He ended up in a juvenile detention centre after being caught stealing, and things went downhill from there.
In 1974, at the age of 22, he was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to seven years in prison. While he was behind bars, he attacked fellow prisoners and prison guards and more time was added to his sentence.
He was eventually released in 1987, 13 years later, and started a career as a bare-knuckle boxer in London, but it wasn't long until he found himself standing in front of a judge again.
The next year, in 1988, he robbed a jewellery shop and pleaded guilty to armed robbery when his partner became the prosecution's main witness.
He was sentenced to another seven years, was released in 1992, then 50 days later he was locked up again - this time for conspiracy to rob.
Bronson has been released before (REX/Shutterstock)
But he's always ended up back behind bars (REX/Shutterstock)The charges were dismissed in 1993 and he was released, but then he was arrested again for conspiracy to rob and possession of a sawn-off shotgun and handed an eight-year sentence.
He's been behind bars ever since, as he's had years added onto his sentence for taking hostages, causing millions of pounds worth of damage in prison, and staging protests.
Demi added: "He stated he 'has not felt grass under his feet for over 30 years'. Could you imagine that? Something so small, that we take for granted every day of our lives, but he would love more than anything.
"He just wants to enjoy a peaceful life for the rest of his days. Yes, there will be so many people out there that will challenge my opinions and think he should never be released as he is such a 'violent and dangerous' individual.
"However, he said himself that he was 'terrified of the consequences of my own actions because I know if I do anything serious ever again, I will die in prison'.
Charles Bronson is now 70-years-old, and has served most of his life behind bars (PA)"He will effectively be throwing away his only chance at a normal life if he re-offends which I think he has come to terms with and wants to avoid.
"He just simply wants to live by the sea and enjoy his art. I do believe that he will need rehabilitation if he was to be released as the world has changed a huge amount in the last 30 - 40 years and he may struggle to adjust to the new way of the world."
Bronson is currently sitting through a public parole board hearing that will decide if he should remain behind bars. He is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public.
The hearing enters day three today, and on Monday it was punctuated with Bronson's outbursts and sighs.
He also branded himself "almost an angel" while also saying "there's nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey" when talking about taking hostages in prison.
Bronson previously told how he was first sent to jail in 1968 and has held 11 hostages in nine different sieges - with victims including governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.
He was sentenced in 2000 to a discretionary life term with a minimum of four years for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release.
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