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Chilling story of Britain's most dangerous killer 'Hannibal the Cannibal' who tortured and killed fellow inmate

Home> News> Crime

Published 17:04 19 Apr 2025 GMT+1

Chilling story of Britain's most dangerous killer 'Hannibal the Cannibal' who tortured and killed fellow inmate

Britain's 'most dangerous prisoner' has reportedly been moved to another facility

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A man reported to be the UK's longest-serving inmate is also known as 'Britain's most dangerous prisoner'.

Robert Maudsley is responsible for holding two of the scariest nicknames in the British prison system.

The 71-year-old remained in solitary confinement in HMP Wakefield since 1983 - a whopping 42 years - after murdering a total of four people, with three of those being other prison inmates.

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This led to the decision to place him in confinement, as Maudsley was considered too dangerous to be housed in a mainstream prison, and insights into his day-to-day life have been released over the years.

However, Maudsley's story before his imprisonment has sparked some interest as well, as his upbringing is said to have been troubled.

Maudsley was born in Liverpool in 1953 and spent his early years growing up in a catholic orphanage alongside his three siblings.

The children were briefly returned to the care of their parents before being removed once again due to physical abuse from their father.

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Maudsley would go on to claim abuse from his parents, which caused psychological scars.

He later moved to London and worked as a sex worker in the 60s, which is where he encountered his first victim, a client of his named John Farrell.

He had garrotted him after Farrell revealed images of children he had sexually abused.

He's kept in solitary confinement (BBC)
He's kept in solitary confinement (BBC)

Three years later, Maudsley and another prisoner tortured and killed child molester David Francis in Broadmoor Hospital - which earned him the nickname 'Hannibal The Cannibal' after Maudsley was accused of driving a spoon into his brain.

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The cannibal allegations turned out to be false.

Following the killing, Maudsley was sent to HMP Wakefield after being convicted of manslaughter. He would undergo another killing spree in 1978.

This time, his targets were Salney Darwood and William Roberts, later confessing to the on-duty officer by saying they would be two people short at the next roll call.

Maudsley was then convicted of double murder and sent to solitary confinement in Wakefield, where he remained for decades.

The infamous prison is nicknamed 'Monster Mansion' due to the large number of high-risk, violent criminals, murderers and sex offenders.

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Maudsley has moved to this prison, according to reports (Google)
Maudsley has moved to this prison, according to reports (Google)

Criminals who have passed through Wakefield's corridors include serial killer Harold Shipman, Charles Bronson and disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.

Maudsley was considered such a high risk to other prisoners that a specially developed cell was built for him in 1983.

Measuring 8ft by 14ft and housed in the prison's basement, Maudsley's cell resembles that of Hannibal Lecter's in 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.

However, reports suggest he was transferred to HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire in March, another Category A facility.

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He is said to be held at a therapeutic unit, designed for prisoners with personality disorders.

Additional words by Brenna Cooper.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 5

Topics: Crime, UK News

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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