UK's Hannibal Serial Killer To Spend Life In Underground Glass Jail Cell

A British serial killer responsible for the deaths of four men between 1974 and 1978 will spend the rest of his life in an underground cell after his Christmas appeal was rejected.

Robert Maudsley — dubbed the United Kingdom's Hannibal the Cannibal — was informed this week of his life-long confinement inside a 5.5-meter (18 feet) by 4.5-meter (14.77 feet) glass cell beneath Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire, the Daily Star reported.

The 68-year-old, who has been in custody since his surrender in 1974, appealed to be allowed to spend the rest of his prison days with the "general population," but officials ruled him too dangerous to mix with the other prisoners and guards, according to the newspaper.

Aside from having his appeal rejected, Maudsley can no longer make any further appeals against the decision.

"He's been told no for the final time... They simply cannot take the risk," an unnamed insider was quoted as saying.

As a result of the appeal's rejection, Maudsley will be forced to spend 23 hours of his remaining days locked alone inside his cell.

The space, which was constructed in 1983, is built with a bulletproof glass cage and features a concrete slab to sleep on, a table and chair made of compressed cardboard as well as a toilet and sink that are both bolted to the floor.

Maudsley committed his first murder in March 1974 after he was picked up by laborer John Farrell for sex. He reportedly flew into a rage and garroted Farrell after the latter showed him photos of several children he had abused.

Maudsley later surrendered to police, and he was sent to Broadmoor Hospital after he was found unfit to stand trial. He and another patient at the psychiatric hospital, David Cheeseman, would barricade themselves inside a room and tie up child molester David Francis in 1977 before torturing him to death and dangling his body for prison guards to see.

The incident resulted in Maudsley being convicted of manslaughter and moved to Wakefield Prison, where he was to serve his life imprisonment sentence.

Maudsley, however, would also end up killing two more prisoners at Wakefield on the same day in 1978.

The first was Salney Darwood, who killed his wife in the 1970s. The second victim was Bill Roberts, who sexually abused a 7-year-old girl.

Maudsley lured Darwood into his cell and cut his throat before hiding the body under his bed. He later snuck into Roberts' cell and stabbed the pedophile, hacked his skull with a makeshift dagger and smashed his head against a wall.

Maudsley had set out to kill seven people that day, according to other inmates who were there at the time, but ended up walking into the prison’s wing office, placed a serrated homemade knife on a desk and informed guards that they would be short two people in the next roll-call.

The underground cell was built after the murders of Darwood and Roberts, for which Maudsley received a double-murder conviction.

Before his Christmas appeal, Maudsley asked the courts to allow him to die.

"What purpose is served by keeping me locked up 23 hours a day? Why even bother to feed me and to give me one hour’s exercise a day? Who actually am I a risk to?" he wrote in a letter.

"As a consequence of my current treatment and confinement, I feel that all I have to look forward to is indeed psychological breakdown, mental illness and probable suicide," Maudsley added.

Maudsley reportedly made some progress after getting three years of counseling from psychiatrist Bob Johnson while staying at Parkhurst Prison. However, the treatment was cut off, and Maudsley was moved back to Wakefield.

Paul, Maudsley's brother, claimed prison authorities attempted to "break" his sibling.

The Ministry of Justice said it does not comment on the cases of individual prisoners.