Inside sad story of Charles Bronson’s soap star wife from jailhouse marriage to motorboat prank and drugs tragedy
CHARLES Bronson’s ex-wife starred in Hollyoaks and campaigned for his release on TV before a prank on holiday led to her tragic death.
Britain’s most notorious lag, 70, married budding soap actress Paula Williamson during a small service at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire.
Bronson has been in prison for 48 years but married Paula in a jailhouse ceremony in November 2017.
The actress, who appeared in Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, was bundled into the jail under a purple cloak following a bizarre procession through the town led by a Bronson lookalike and a woman on a mobility scooter.
Bronson, who goes by the name Charles Salvador, was handcuffed to a warden for the strictly controlled two-hour ceremony witnessed by just five guests.
Afterwards he was led back to his cell while his bride and family and friends partied in a nearby hotel.
Paula then headed to Malta for their honeymoon without her new husband.
The following year Paula chatted to The Sun about her new hubby’s attributes.
She said: “I’ve had a little feel a couple of times through his trousers, but he’s not got it out.
“I’ve definitely got something to look forward to when he gets out.”
But Bronson filed for divorce after snaps of her emerged letting a lad bury his head in her chest on a holiday in Tenerife, the following year.
Bronson branded her a “drunken tart” in a letter from his cell and said the lad in the picture, Connor Boyes, was a “brave man”.
Paula later broke down in tears on Loose Women as she described how she was “heartbroken” by the marriage ending.
The Sun revealed in June 2019 that their marriage would be annulled on the grounds that they never had sex.
Paula told The Sun: “I’ve sent my paperwork off and he’s sent his. We’re now waiting for it to be officially annulled.
“That process will take about two weeks.”
Paula was found dead at a house in Sneyd Green on July 29, 2019.She was just 38.
Paula was found unresponsive in her bed by her new lover, Peter Jones.
Medics pronounced her dead at 7am. Stoke-on-Trent Coroner’s Court heard how evidence suggested that Williamson had no intention to cause her own death.
Coroner Emma Serrano said: “In the lead up to her passing away she wasn’t expressing any suicidal thoughts and there was no behaviour to suggest she wasn’t happy.”
Concluding that Williamson’s death was drug-related, Ms Serrano added: “Paula had been taking substances.
“She did not realise the consequence of those substances
all working together would cause her to pass away.”
Connor later said that he feared the stunt may have been partly responsible for Paula’s death after her lifeless body was discovered yesterday “on top of a bed of cocaine and tablets”.
He told The Sun Online: “I fear what happened with us led to a downward spiral.
“I’m worried me and my friends were the catalyst for her passing away as it was one thing after another when she got divorced from Charles.
“Even if it wasn’t me directly, there could have been a domino effect after what happened in Tenerife. We thought it was just lads on holiday having a laugh but never thought of the consequences of it.”
Luton-born criminal Bronson was first jailed for seven years in 1975 for armed robbery.
But he has spent nearly 50 years inside for repeated bad behaviour including attacking staff and taking governors hostage.
He was jailed for life in 1999 for kidnapping a teacher behind bars.
Over the years Bronson has been responsible for a string of kidnappings and sieges behind bars.
But he has been back in court this week for a public parole hearing in bid to finally be freed.
The tribunal will access whether he presents a danger to others.
If the risks are deemed low, there is a possibility he could be released on a life licence.
Bronson has been turned down repeatedly since 2002 after being deemed a threat to the public.