Charles Bronson - Britain's most notorious prisoner - could soon walk free from prison as he is set to go before a parole board in a public hearing, making history in the process.
The Parole Board review will decide whether 70-year-old Bronson, who has changed his name to Charles Salvador, is a risk to society and whether he should remain behind bars.
Dubbed one of the most violent offenders in the country, Bronson has been in prison for much of the last 50 years, often spending time in solitary confinement or specialist units.
Many people assume that Bronson, one of the longest-serving prisoners, is a murderer, but as he previously said: "Who have I killed? Who have I raped? Who am I a danger to outside? Nobody."
Here we take a look at the original crime that put Bronson behind bars, and the further offences that added countless years on to his sentence.
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At the age of 13, Bronson joined a gang of robbers and 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.
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.
One of his Bronson's prison chums, reformed gangster Stephen Gillen, previously spoke to The Mirror and said that the infamous inmate "should be free! "
He said: "He has to pay for his crimes and be accountable - we know that to keep a society progressive and healthy, there needs to be boundaries to keep people safe.
"But when you talk about Charlie, apart from the usual uproar about him being the most dangerous, about all this stuff that he's done, you have to look at how he's been treated and the crimes for which he was sentenced for.
"The way he was held and punished through that sentence was very detrimental for everyone.
"The most prudent way to look at this case is to take Charlie the personality out of it. This is indicative, the first-ever public parole hearing - it's never been done before. There's an indication that this is a special case, and needs to be looked at - because of the circumstances."
Bronson is set to have his parole hearing held in public today after he won a bid, believed to be put in by a third party, after a new legal ruling.
The hearings have traditionally been held in private, but now the rules have changed to allow victims and reporters to witness the event, where it is determined if an inmate should be freed from jail or stay behind bars.
Bronson has held 11 hostages in nine different sieges during his time in jail - with victims including governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.
In 1999, he held an art teacher hostage for two days in Hull prison and, although he didn't physically attack him, the victim was left so traumatised he never returned to work.
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 permit his release.
He has had many parole bids turned down because of subsequent violent episodes - and today, his lawyers are set argue that it's eight years since his last conviction and four years since an internal prison adjudication for violence.
The Parole Board hearing is expected to last for three days, with a decision announced in 14 days - with the possibility that he could be freed, moved to an open prison, or remains locked up.
The justice secretary can block a recommendation to release Bronson, but such a move would ultimately be decided by the courts.
Stephen claims that parole hearings are open to "corruption" and personal bias, and hopes that Bronson will have a fair chance when it is held in public.
He continued: "When you look at the facts, has Charlie paid his debt - yes, of course he has.
"Everyone deserves a chance, he hasn't murdered anyone, he's in his 70s now - if he wasn't to be let out, what kind of message of rehabilitation is that giving out to people?
"I would like to hope he'll get out.
"It's been bound by the legal red tape and processes so far, a lot of these are out of touch and draconian - they're open to corruption.
"Certain things are not being heard - when the public interest is more focussed on it it really dilutes the chance of that happening, because there's so much exposure on it. It makes it more balanced, it has to be a good thing.
"Human beings are human beings, opinions are like buses - there's another one coming along in a minute."
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