A British serial killer has refused to eat his meals after the prison guards confiscated his TV and PlayStation. Robert Maudsley, better known as “Hannibal the Cannibal”, has spent over five decades behind the bars, mostly in solitary confinement inside a glass cell at the Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire. His confinement closely mirrors Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins in the film Silence of the Lambs.
As per his brother Paul, Maudsley was turning away meals, adding that he will not ingest anything until his prized electronic items are returned to him. Apart from the gadgets, Maudsley is also miffed after the guards took his non-fiction books and a music system he had on February 26.
“Bob is held inside a prison within the prison,” Paul was quoted as saying by the New York Post. “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.”
Paul said his 71-year-old brother was back to how he was nearly a decade ago when “he didn’t have anything to stimulate him”.
“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.”
As per Paul, his brother called him from brother and sounded angry and anxious. “I’m going on hunger strike so don’t be surprised if this is the last time I call you,'” Maudsley told Paul.
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Social media reacts
As the news went viral, myriad reactions poured in from social media users with the majority mocking the serial killer for his behaviour while a few sympathised with him.
“Other prisoners were quoted as saying they feel much safer knowing that he is on a hunger strike,” said one user while another added: “Bless his little heart, no PlayStation in prison? A cannibal goes on a hunger strike? Is there an issue to address?”
A third commented: “Before people get all indignant maybe they should take a breath. This guy is 71 years old and has been in prison for 49 years, most of it in solitary confinement. He can never be released but why the need to torture him needlessly like this?”
The serial killer is currently serving life sentence for four murders between 1974 and 1978 and is believed to be the longest-serving inmate in England. He spends 23 hours a day in an 18ft by 15ft glass cell. It is said that he ate part of one of his victim’s brains.