Hard man of Belfast ‘Hannibal Lecter’ dies
The body of Charles Conlon, a 37-year-old from north Belfast, was found close to a railway line on the outskirts of the city.
Conlon, who has spent much of the last 20 years behind bars, was given his nickname after repeatedly attacking, and biting, prison officers and fellow inmates.
A cell preventing any contact between him and officers was constructed and if he had to be moved, he was accompanied by four officers in riot helmets, protective gear and steel mesh gloves to prevent him biting their faces or parts of their bodies. He is thought to have carried out 200 attacks while in prison.
Conlon was on bail on charges of criminal damage but had recently faced 134 charges including, assault, criminal damage, traffic offences and disorderly behaviour.
During his most recent court appearance in Belfast last month, there were scuffles as Conlon stormed out after discovering he had been evicted from his home. He is from Bawnmore, a nationalist enclave in a mainly loyalist part of north Belfast.
His record includes an attack on his own mother.
His body was found yesterday morning. A PSNI spokesperson said: “A post mortem will be carried out following the discovery of a body near train lines on the Shore Road in Newtownabbey.
“Initial investigations do not suggest anything suspicious and an official announcement on the cause of death will not be made until after the post mortem.”
The so-called Lecter suite in Maghaberry was specially built for Conlon. He later started referring to female warders as ‘Agent Starling’ after a character in the film Silence of the Lambs.
Double doors and a sliding grille for food collection allows warders to leave food, then retreat before releasing an inner door.
A sliding grille covers the entrance to a private shower room, which can be locked to allow officers carry out a searches. The furniture is indestructible while the bedclothes are made of material that disintegrates.
