Britain's Most Notorious Psychiatric Hospital (Prison Documentary) | Real Stories

[Solemn music plays, noises of nature in

background]

Narrator: Broadmoor, a word that makes people shiver.

Most think that Broadmoor is a prison,

in fact it's a high secure psychiatric hospital,

and home to some of the countries most

dangerous and violent offenders.

[Gate unlocking, mechanical noises]

After five years of negotiation, and for the

very first time, the hospital has allowed

cameras in to meet the men who live behind

these walls.

[unintelligible yelling, sound of something slamming]

[Running foot steps keys jangling]

[more yelling and sounds of a struggle]

[door slams]

[foot steps echo in the hallway]

Inmate: Broadmoores got this, this history

about people being all these monsters here basically.

But you can be violent, and it don't mean you're

a bad person.

'Cause sometimes

you don't....you're not intendin' it.

Over radio: "Hello Brovo one, two, and go.

Over radio: "One going to the

[ unintelligible] all radio. Alpha four.

Over."

The easiest reaction in the world is to

see somebody that has committed something

atrocious, label them as evil, want to

lock the door and throw away the key.

Daniel: "I've probably actually never said

the words of what I've I actually done.

I've never admitted it. Still just a blur

in my head".

[knocking on door]

Inmate 2: "I've got born into this Italian

family. Very, very violent. In some cases

it would have been better to have killed

me than to have allowed me to have this

horrible life that I've had.

Narrator: With unprecedented access, and

filmed over a year, this series reveals

the secrets of life inside Brittians most

notorious institution.

[Bell rings]

[Solemn music]

Narrator: Broadmoor is perched above the

Berkshire village of Crowthorne. Just 40

miles from the center of London.

When people think of Broadmoore they think of

Ronny Kray, Peter Sutcliffe, Robert

Napper, and Kenneth Erskine. Some of the

most dangerous killers the country has

ever known.

"The public perceive this place as 'oh,

that's where the Yorkshire Rippers locked

up, that's Rachel Nickell's killers locked

up'. Broadmoor is an institution of lots of

people. We're not all rapist pedophiles,

or murderers. There is people in here for

self-harming in prison, there's people in

here for buggary and they've gotten in a prison,

and there's people in here for very very

evil things.

and it brushes with all the same brush

what station [unintelligible]".

[loud string crescendo]

Narrator: First built as a victorian

lunatic asylum for the criminally insane,

today Broadmoor is an NHS hospital.

Over its 150 year history, its been a secretive

and mysterious institution.

Staff are under strict instructions not to

discuss patients outside the hospital walls.

[clicking as items are placed on conveyer

and beeping of machinery]

Many won't even admit to working here.

Staff Member: " Close, close family

members know that, obviously, where we

work. But if we're in a normal mainstream

than you would, you would probably say you

work in the hospital or something. Don't

really talk about the place."

Staff Member #2: " Listen, if you said

that you worked here. Ah, boy. You'd just

spend the whole of a day, or the

afternoon, with a barrage of questions about the place.

So, it's just easy to say you work for the

NHS".

Narrator: They're told not to share

personal information with the patients

either, and to leave their private lives

along with their possessions. At the front door.

Broadmoor's most notorious patients,

like Peter Sutcliffe and Kenneth Erskine,

have chosen not to participate.

But many of the men here have been front

page news and are vilified by society.

This is the first time they've been

allowed to tell their stories.

Alex: I've everything from taking

hostages, more hostage taking, stabbings,

ya' know. Uhhhh... more assaults, violent

assaults, fire setting off. I set a whole

stammers a fire in a hospital. A

psychiatric hospital, the first one I

ever went to. Umm.. yeah. Just mainly

violence and whatnot. My history is mainly

violence".

Narrator: "Broadmoors 200 patients are all

men suffering from mental disorders.

They're classified as vulnerable adults

and only those who have Capacity to

Give Consent have been allowed to talk to

us.

Their faces have been blurred to

protect their identities

[Door closing]

Female voice: "What are you like when

you're not on medication?"

Alex: "Ummm...I'm quite a nasty

person. I'm quite violent, I'm very

violent in most circumstances. Very

antisocial. I don't like spending time

with people. I'm paranoid. I'm, uh, very

paranoid. [stammers] Every person around,

I'm thinking 'what's their intention?' I

come to that, sometimes I come very close

to attacking people because I'm thinking

that they're going to do something to me

and I don't want to get hurt first. Uh,

um..I remember one time when I'm off

medication, spent 11 months locked in a

cell. Segregated, due to the fact that I

was too dangerous to come out".

Narrator: 24 year old Alex arrived at

Broadmoor 7 months ago. He was serving a

life sentence in a dedicated prison unit

for highly dangerous prisoners.

They could no longer manage him.

Alex: "When I was younger, we would

chase a seagull... trails off

Narrator: Now in a remissions ward he's

been diagnosed with mental illness and

personality disorder and put on

medication.

One of his symptoms is Auditory Hallucinations.

He hears voices.

Alex: "Oh, I was doing a fruit salad

the other day for an assessment. That's

when they do this assessment from

personal motor, motor skills.

It's like for learning disability.

And....Umm...

I was cutting a mango

and I have never, I've never used a sharp knife.

In the seven years I've been away

I've not used a sharp knife

and I was shaking. Literally.

I nearly cut my fingers off cause'

the voices were telling me to attack the

people in the room, with the knife.

And, like, they were goading me into it,

and I thought ' I can't do that.

I can't do that.

and so I managed to finish fruit, the

fruit salad, and I thought " wow like, what

achievement'. Cause' mostly stammers a

year ago, two years ago, my emotions

would have done it.

Ya know?"

[unintelligible speaking]

Man in Sweater: "No. We'll clean it

afterwards. We are Going to give you

bedding for now, okay"?

Narrator: This is Cranfield, the

intensive care ward. Home to the hospitals

most acute mentally ill patients.

[door shutting, keys jangling, people

speaking unintelligibly]

Female voice: "Hi, can we come in and

talk to you, yeah?"

Man in Sweater: "Sit on the bed for us"

Narrator:Any contact with them has to be

carefully planned and executed.

This is a six person unlock.

The door to this patients room can only be

opened with six staff present.

Hospital Staff: "There is always the risk

of violence towards others if

[can't understand] with chronic mental

illness and they will be very distant

throughout the day, but you have to

learn to work with that.

[person sobbing]

My focus in working with this guys is

after telling me that they are here

not because of the illness, they

are here because of violence.

And they only progress from here

if there's a reduction in that violence.

So that message, you know.

It might take time, but gradually

over a period of time, is that

goal through".

[keys jangling, unintelligible talking in background]

Narrator: On this ward, even the most

routine tasks, run a risk of violence and

involve a protocol.

This patient has asked for a drink.

Man in White: "Just keep on the bed trails off

[unintelligible]

Shukran. Shukran

Shukran means thank you, right?

You know, you taught me all this.

laughs

[unintelligible speaking]"

Inmate: [unintelligible] "give me some more?'

Man in White: [unintelligible response]

"Thank you!"

Female voice: "Thank you guys."

Narrator: Life in Broadmoor can be a game

of snakes and ladders.

With patients moving between the hospitals

15 wards according to their

mental state.

[door closing]

Patients who have responded to treatment

can progress to one of the hospitals

Assertive Rehab Wards, where

they're given greater freedom.

Daniel is one of 12 patients on this

ward.

Daniel: "I've been here five years.

Luckily I never went to a high dependency

ward, I came straight to rehab.

And, to be honest, its been...

I wouldn't use the word wonderful...

Cause' eh... it's not wonderful.

But, I've been grateful basically

to come here.

In my spare time I try and engage

in artwork mostly.

This was the, uh... my first real attempt

at an actual portrait. All done completely

in graphite, and then I moved on to using

charcoal along with, uh.. graphite.

And the charcoal allows you to, to have

so much more...uhhh...depth in the tone or

quality.

And then, yeah....I did a self-portrait.

The whole, The whole picture was a

statement about when I got locked up,

when I was 14 and I'm now 24.

This is me at 24, but uh, that me.....

back then...sort of thing...."

Narrator: Mental Disorder is no respecter

of class or education.

Daniel was a 14 year old boy at a

mainstream school, and no one anticipated

the violence of his attack....on his own

family.

All of the men in Broadmoor present a

grave and immediate risk to the public.

And many have committed violent crimes.

From arson, to torture, rape and murder.

Unlike a prison sentence, they have no

release date.

Daniel: "I've been a bit of a conundrum

for the psychologists.

And I've have, I've had about nine different

diagnoses from thirty different doctors.

I've had seminars about me done,

I've had people wanting to write books about me,

just because of the unusuallity of

my offense, and my age, and what happened...

I mean, my family are my saving grace

to be honest here. They, they,

they're hugely...hugely supportive.

And what's even more amazing is that my offense

was actually oriented against my family.

So I think...so the fact....and, and, what a

lot of people see is that, when a family

member has committed an offense against

a family member they're often...dis-disowned.

So it think it's...it's too much for the family.

But, they-they, have told me that they swore

they'd stay by me when they, when I was

christened, and they have. So I think,

ya know...

They've always agreed I've has Aspergers.

One of the problems I have is I'm

not very good at understanding emotions.

Or...if I have a...if I'm feeling something

I don't always understand what it is that

I'm feeling.

But if I can draw it, I can get out these

angry feelings, or these frustrations of

being locked up, or guilt, or remorse.

All these, all these negative feelings I

can channel through this imaginative artworks".

[background talking, lunch bags rustle]

Daniel: I've probably never actually said

the words of what I actually done.

I've never admitted it.

Because I still, I still get flashbacks.

It's mainly guilt.

I still-I still struggle to bring it to mind

It's still just a blur in my head.

I've done such a terrible thing. Thats one

of the things that I've got to come to

terms with eventually is that I've

done this, it's happened, and it WILL be

with me forever".

Narrator: We're not allowed to reveal the

details of Daniel's offense.

Man in Suit: "okay"

Daniel: "Umm, the other thing I was

wondering about was, I saw

problems of fine motor control and spacial awareness,

and like bumping into things, and dropping

things a lot".

Man in Suit: "Oh so you're saying one of

the most common side effect. In fact, the

opposite....[trails off]"

Narrator: Daniel is taking medication and

undergoing psychological therapy.

These, together with everyday interaction

with staff are the cornerstone of

the treatment here.

Man in Suit: "Have you noticed any benefit?"

Daniel: " I don't really know what it is

I'm looking for."

Man in Suit: " I have noticed a difference

in you, not within the last week, but

certainly over the last three months. I

think that you are much more able to

spend a good time with people in one on

one situations."

Narrator: Broadmoor can feel like a ghost

town. Patients can only move at certain

times and in certain configurations.

Their cameras record where each patient is

at any given moment.

[Radio Chatter]

The control room ensures that incompatible

patients, do not collide.

[Radio Chatter]

Patients who are well enough leave their

wards to go to work, study, and even once

a week go shopping. It's strangely like a

village.

[loud indistinct talking]

Shopkeeper "Whats going on? You sure it's okay?"

[indistinct response]

Shopkeeper: "Good."

Narrator: The freedom to shop is a

mixed blessing. One of the side effects

of medication is increased appetite and

and many patients are severely overweight.

[indistinct talking]

However normal it feels, the reminder of

the threat of violence is ever-present.

Searches looking for potential weapons

are carried out before any patient movement.

Hospital Staff: This is stuff that we've

retrieved from patients. I think this is

just, what used to be a C.D. and its been

broken up into shards. It can be used as a

blade, it can be used for self harming.

In fact, we don't use the C.D.s here anymore.

We've got spoons and forks that have been

sharpened off on the edge. So a normal

teaspoon-plastic spoon-which is innocent

to you and I, has been fashioned off and

can be used as a potential weapon to stab.

It's an example of how vigilant we have to

be with everyday items".

Alex: "I've done a lot of self harming, as

you can see. I've cut my own throat a couple

of times. I've cut my throat like four

times I think. Umm funny enough, I think

It was like five weeks before I come here,

I hung myself and they had to do CPR

on me in the cell.

I was sexually abused when I was a child

and that had an affect on my behavior.

And maybe we'll see that.

I couldn't sleep at night, and the rest

of it...I was, you know...

Basically everything that you go through

when you've had a traumatic situation

like I did. I think as well as being here,

I said to my mum 'this feels like the

best I've ever been in ten years."

Man in Glasses: Patients that come here,

they will have perpetrated, often,

horrendous crimes. But, they are also

victims. It is very easy to see somebody

as either the perpetrator or the victim.

It is much more difficult to understand

that somebody might be both.

[squirrel chatters]

[loud drumming and incoherent yelling]

Narrator: Patients from different wards

meet in certain events.

Dave Neita: "hi, first of all, thank

you for giving up your time. I know you

could be doing different things, I know

you have different [trails off]"

Narrator: Todays a diversity workshop and

Poet and Lawyer Dave Neita is encouraging

them to celebrate their different cultures.

[Dave Neita speaking unintelligibly]

But most of them are celebrating lunch.

With no alcohol or tobacco allowed, food

is the only thing they have free reign over.

[drums in background]

Alex: "My mums Italian and my dads

in Africa. I would say that being multicultural

It helps. It's good. It's nice to be different.

Because different is what we need. We

don't want everyone the same. And that's it."

Declan: "How'd I end up in here? Umm

they said they had a spare bed so I

thought 'I've been in children's homes,

I've been in secure units, I've been in prison.

The only place I haven't been is Broadmoor.

So I thought I'd come along.

[Declan laughing]

[drumming]

Narrator: Now 26, Declan was put

into care at the age of nine.

Declan: "I remember the day that my

mum took me to this office. I sat there

in a chair, and the next minute she just

left. She went 'your not coming with me'.

A social worker come out and she went

'alright, you ought to come with me'.

I went to children's homes, foster homes.

I kept running away. Cause' I got abused

When I was in the children home. By the

staff. Sexually and physical. And umm I

think it was like, no one would actually

listen to me.

I ran away to London, and I was living on

the streets. I mean I was living out in-

and yeah....not the nicest spot. Out in

the streets you have to do that sometimes.

you know what I mean?"

Inmate in Red: "Yeah guys, this is called

It goes like this: When you see a tramp

out on the street. Don't look down your

nose so far that you see your own feet.

When you see people homeless don't reach

for a broom. Consider if you have the

means to give them a room.

Declan: "Am I a victim? I mean my current

defendant...umm...basically stabbed 'em

up. The judge classed it under as torture".

Inmate in Blue: "I'm black, I'm

British, and I'm proud of it [fades into

clapping and drums]."

Female Voice: "You say you've got a child?"

Declan: "Mm-hm. Got a little boy,

he's seven.

And he lives with his mum.

Don't really see him, but I would-

I wouldn't expect children to come in a

place like this."

Female Voice: "And are you still on good

terms with his mum?"

Declan: "Ummm...laughs

not really. No.

I started having a bit of a relationship

with [name beeped out]. Sooo, yeah..that

was the first time I found out that I was

sort of that way.

I've always-for some reason-I've always

wanted to be a woman.

I think that's the way I

but in this place you can't do that,

the way I love it.

Declan in front of room: "I just wanted

to say I'm gay, and I'm proud of it.

Thank you."

Declan: "I want to be a Drag Queen that's

what I've done for a while."

Female Voice: "What's she called?"

Declan: "Crystal."

Female Voice: "And what's she look like?"

Declan: "Blonde, and just fabulous

laughs"

[Intense music]

Narrator: Ive come to Chepstow, a

medium-dependancy ward, where Lenny

wants to show us his artwork.

Female Voice: "You do it, your artwork?"

Lenny: "Yeah. I do work with spare pens,

and it's mostly based on pens and

basically your using cuts and shapes

and bottle tops to draw around.

Female Voice: "How long have you been here?"

Lenny: "7 years this time.:

Female voice: "Is it not your first time?"

Lenny: "Second Time.

what do you think of that one?

Thats the corridors in border shop

down there."

Female Voice: "So why are you considered

a risk?"

Lenny: "Because...I think its because of

my particular offense was against a

consulting psychiatrist. Because they

called in a section 12 approved psychiatrist.

And they're very powerful, not like- not

like when you go to an ordinary doctor.

They-they work from home office."

Narrator: He's not happy with life in

Broadmoor, and tells us he's bringing a

High Court case against the hospital.

Lenny: "It costs how much? What was the

last figure they said it cost to keep us

here every year? 320,000 pounds a year or

something? Surely its-its wrong.