09 March 2023 , 11:43
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The brother of Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has failed to back his bid for freedom - and says he has "nothing to do with him" since his "fake son" emerged.
The 70-year-old inmate, real name Michael Gordon Peterson, could be released in a matter of weeks after spending 48 years behind bars.
Three parole judges - who have not been publicly named - are considering his case at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
The parole hearing - which finished yesterday - is the second to be held in public in the UK.
Bronson's brother Mark Peterson told the Mirror he lost contact with his sibling after "fake son" George Bamby came onto the scene.
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Mark with Lorraine Etherington and Lorraine Salvage - Bronson's sister and cousin - for a 'Free Charles Bronson' petition - in 2013 (Matt Cetti-Roberts/Lnp/REX/Shutterstock)He had previously been in support of him getting out so he could see their elderly mum Eira Peterson - who Bronson has referred to as 'Duchess'.
Mr Bamby appeared on ITV's This Morning in 2018 claiming to be Bronson's child and said he'd done a DNA test which was a 99.8% positive match.
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"I've had nothing to do with him since he introduced his fake son," Mark said.
Bronson - who now goes by Charles Salvador - has had a rocky relationship with Mr Bamby, who also at one stage added Salvador to his own name.
Mark with his mum Eira Peterson (Piers Allardyce/REX/Shutterstock)Soon after his TV appearance, Bronson wrote to friend Rod Harrison that he no longer spoke to him - and hadn't for months.
He said: "George has had his five minutes of fame now (there are no more).
"I've not been in contact with him now for months, nor wish to be - a clown's a clown to me, but he can't come back - too many lies."
However, they appear to have made up since.
Bronson (right), with brothers John (left) and Mark (middle) (Sunday Mirror)Freelance photographer Mr Bamby worked with Channel 4 for a recent documentary on their relationship, which included footage of Bronson in his prison cell.
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He also said he went to the first day of the open parole proceedings at The Royal Courts of Justice on Monday.
Writing on Facebook, he said: "I listened to the opening speech from The Parole Head who confirmed that legally they were unable [to] watch the recent Channel 4 documentary. Which me and our legal team knew from day 1 may I add.
"The legal team that I got for Charlie. I walked in there with my head held high as I won't be bullied by people."
Goerge Bamby claims to be Bronson's son (Channel 4)He went on to say: "Regardless of any trolls I will continue my support for Charlie and keep campaigning for his release. What a lot of idiots don't realise is this public parole hearing is happening because of my 5 years of tireless work."
Mr Bamby added: "I decided to leave the parole hearing after 20 minutes as it's his day and his chance for freedom and I didn't want it to be overshadowed by idiots saying that I shouldn't have been there."
Bronson's relationship with Mr Bamby has caused friction with others close to the prisoner.
One unnamed friend told the Mirror: "That fake son has done enough damage with his lies."
Footage from the Channel 4 documentary in which Bronson appears on a webcam (channel 4)Once dubbed one of Britain's most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-takings in nine different sieges.
Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.
He was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release.
The review heard that Bronson has a "romanticised" view of violent incidents in the past, after he told parole judges how he loved a "rumble" and enjoyed mass brawls in prison but insisted he has since found solace in art and is a man of "peace".
A court sketch of Bronson during the parole hearing (PA)While he found violence "cathartic" in the past, he now draws on art in the same way, a psychologist - who was not named - said.
She told the hearing she believes Bronson should eventually be moved to a lower security prison with open conditions to allow him to interact with other people and poses "less of a risk" outside of jail.
Speaking to WalesOnline in 2014 about Bronson seeing their mum again, Mark said: "None of us are getting any younger and the thought that one day she won’t be around anymore is something that weighs heavily on the minds of both me and Michael.
“I just hope he gets out and is able to spend a few years with mum making up for all the lost time."