Serial killer 'Hannibal the Cannibal' goes on hunger strike in prison after being denied PlayStation
ByMuskaan Sharma
Mar 09, 2025 08:57 PM IST
Notorious serial killer Robert Maudsley, known as Hannibal the Cannibal, has gone on hunger strike after his PlayStation and TV were confiscated in prison.
A notorious serial killer, known as "Hannibal the Cannibal", has allegedly gone on a hunger strike in prison after staff confiscated his Playstation and TV. 74-year-old Paul Maudsley told the Mirror UK that his serial killer-brother Robert Maudsley is usually "polite" but he is refusing food on hunger strike after prison guards took away his items including the gaming console, non-fiction books and a music system.
74-year-old Robert Maudsley is Britain's longest-serving solitary prisoner,(X/@the_tech_writer)
74-year-old Robert Maudsley is Britain's longest-serving solitary prisoner,(X/@the_tech_writer)
Robert Maudsley holds the world record for solitary confinement and has been kept away from the rest of the prisoners for almost 46 years. He was first jailed when he was 21 in 1974 for murder and four years later, while already serving a life sentence for double murder, he killed two prisoners in Wakefield jail.
“There’ll be two short on the roll call," he told the prison guard after the killings. Since that day, he has spent his time in solitary confinement with even prison staff, including barbers, refusing to be alone with him.
What happened?
Talking to Mirror UK, his brother Paul said that the main prison went back to normal after an "operational exercise" lead to prison-wide searches following rumours of a man smuggling in a gun. "Bob’s section was out for a couple of days. Bob complained and he’s normally polite, but the prison officers accused him of being abusive. When he finally got back in his cell, they had taken everything – his TV, PlayStation, books and radio."
He added that it was "not fair" to take away the killer's amenities. "He’s back to how he was 10 years ago when he didn’t have anything to stimulate him and he would just sit there and vegetate and was in danger of going mad. He loves playing war games and chess on his PlayStation and he’s always watching old films on TV and reading factual books," he said.
Paul Maudsley said his 71-year-old brother has vowed not to eat again until his possessions are returned. Paul said: “I’m going on hunger strike so don’t be surprised if this is the last time I call you," Paul quoted his brother as saying.
Who is Robert Maudsley?
Nicknamed "Hannibal the Cannibal," Robert Maudsley holds the record as Britain’s longest-serving prisoner in solitary confinement. For over four decades, he has been housed in an 18ft by 15ft glass cell, where he spends 23 hours a day in isolation.
Originally sentenced in 1974 at the age of 21 for murdering child abuser John Farrell, Maudsley—known as "Bob" to his family—later killed three fellow inmates he believed were rapists and pedophiles. His actions led to his strict separation from other prisoners and earned him the title of Britain’s most dangerous inmate.
Maudsley has compared his existence to "being buried alive in a coffin." Following the 2017 death of Moors murderer Ian Brady, who served 51 years, Maudsley became the UK's longest-serving prisoner.
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