The nephew of serial killer Robert Maudsley has expressed concern for his uncle's well-being, stating he is "not in a great place".
Known for his violent history, Maudsley’s time in prison has been marked by a string of killings, including the murder of a man in 1974, and three additional killings while in custody.
He was once rumoured to have eaten part of a victim’s brain, earning the nickname “Hannibal the Cannibal,” a claim that was later debunked.
After being deemed too dangerous to remain around other inmates, Maudsley was placed in a specially designed glass cell under Wakefield Prison, a unit measuring 18ft by 14ft with bulletproof windows and furniture made from cardboard to prevent weapon-making.
This setup led him to hold the record for the longest time spent in solitary confinement, describing the space in letters as a “concrete coffin” where he was kept “out of sight and out of mind.”
The 71-year-old was transferred 125 miles to HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire in April, ending an unbroken stretch inside the prison known as “Monster Mansion.”
His nephew, Gavin, says the move has left Maudsley struggling to adjust. Speaking to Behind Bars TV, he shared: “In Whitemoor, to the best of our knowledge, he hasn't got his stuff.
"His regime is an hour out of his cell each day, and that is not an hour in the yard, within this hour you have to get your shower and all that. Any time you take a shower, that comes off your yard time.”
He added: “He is not in a great place right now. I am still trying to confirm and verify if he has a TV or if he has his books and stuff – but I can't imagine how it will be for him if he hasn't.”
Gavin, who last saw his uncle weeks before the transfer, noted that he and his father are “dying to get down to see him.”
Concerns over his transfer have also been voiced by Loveinia Grace MacKenney, who has corresponded with Maudsley for five years.
She stated: “They have put him with 70 other prisoners on a wing. It is a disaster waiting to happen. He does not want to be alongside other men because of the abuse he suffered as a child.”
She continued: “You can tell from his letter to me what a terrible state he is in, his handwriting is shaky. He no longer has his TV, he has no radio. He was a model prisoner on his own, but I think they have targeted him,” adding she believes he is being “victimized” without cause.
While at Wakefield, Maudsley had created a routine within his cell that brought him some sense of stability.
Gavin shared: “Most of them (prison guards) respected him and would play chess with him, they would have conversations with him, and eventually he found himself in a position where he had a TV in his cell.
"He had a PlayStation in his cell, he had his music system, his CDs, he had his books, he would get an hour in the gym, he would get an hour in the yard, and he would get an hour in the kitchen. And for him, he said, 'All I ever wanted was my own space, Gavin, I've got it now.' Unfortunately it is in the underbelly of Wakefield, but he has got his own space.”
Gavin further explained how the move has cut off some of Maudsley’s contact with family: “He had a phone in his cell in Wakefield, he doesn't now in Whitemoor. He had a phone and he could phone family and stuff like that. He had his canteen money, he was only ever on basic because he wouldn't go into psychology programs. He was only on basic but he had what he needed. He was comfortable.”
He admitted that returning to Wakefield would be “difficult” for Maudsley, given his current mental state.