Charles Bronson tells court: I would not have bitten prison governor's nose off, I'm a vegetarian

In court: Charles Bronson
NICK RAZZELL/REX/Shutterstock
Patrick Grafton-Green13 November 2018
WEST END FINAL

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Charles Bronson has told a court he would not have bitten a prison governor's nose off during an alleged attack because "I'm a vegetarian and all".

The 65-year-old, who is defending himself in a trial, made the comment while cross-examining Mark Docherty, a governor at HMP Wakefield who he is accused of attempting to seriously harm.

Jurors previously heard how Bronson pinned the governor to the ground and told him: "I will bite you f****** nose off and I will gouge your eyes out."

But responding to suggestions he would have bitten the governor's nose off had he not been quickly restrained by prison officers, Bronson said on Tuesday: "I can assure you I have never bitten anyone's nose off in my life. Plus, I'm a vegetarian and all."

Demonstrating to jurors the speed at which he can throw blows by punching his own hands in the dock, Bronson said: "In three seconds, I could hit a man 10 times in the face."

Addressing Mr Docherty, he said: "If I had used both hands, I would have hit you 20 times in the face. Do you accept that?"

When the governor denied this, Bronson told how, due to the speed at which the prison staff grabbed him, he was only on top of Mr Docherty for three seconds and did not throw a single punch.

He said: "But why did I not throw a punch? Because I wasn't going to punch you. I wasn't going to hurt you."

Leeds Crown Court heard how Mr Docherty suffered swelling to the neck, scratches to the face and whiplash following the incident on January 25.

Admitting he was struggling not to laugh at the suggestion the governor suffered whiplash, Bronson said: "I don't think that in a month of Sundays you had whiplash.

"I think you're trying to pull the wool over people's eyes. Is that true?"

The governor indicated this was not true.

Jurors were told how, prior to his wedding to the actress Paula Williamson at the prison in November last year, Bronson had been told he and his new wife would be given 22 wedding photographs, all taken by prison staff, and no guests would be allowed to take their own pictures.

But Mr Docherty said staff decided not to give the pictures to Ms Williamson after hearing that among the guests was a member of the "paparazzi" who had previously had their press licence taken away, and a prankster who entered the pitch at Stoke City Football Club with the words "Free Charles Bronson" written on the back of his prisoner-style outfit.

Bronson asked Mr Docherty: "How do you feel about humiliating my wife? How do you feel about the fact that my wife was the only bride in Britain on that day not to have a wedding photograph?

"How would you feel if that was your wife or husband? I don't know what happens in your personal life, you may have a wife or a husband."

Asking questions on whether the withholding of the pictures was a motivation behind the alleged attack, Bronson said: "Is it possible that all I was going to do was get you in a bear hug, a gentle one, and just whisper in your ear 'where are my wife's wedding photos?'."

Bronson, a serving prisoner at HMP Frankland in County Durham, denies a charge of attempting to cause GBH with intent.

The trial, which is expected to conclude this week, continues.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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