Who is ‘The Mad Axeman’ Frank Mitchell who escaped Dartmoor Prison: location of Rob Rinder’s new ‘Behind Bars’ doc
A NEW documentary series is set to air all about the secrets of the UK’s most famous prisons, with the first focusing on HMP Dartmoor.
It’s fronted by presenter and barrister Rob Rinder. Here’s all you need to know about one of Dartmoor’s most notorious inmates, who the Kray twins helped break out.
Who is ‘The Mad Axeman’?
The Mad Axeman is the name given to notorious criminal Frank Mitchell.
He was a friend of the Kray twins, the criminals who ruled the streets of London in the swinging sixties.
He famously escaped from Dartmoor Prison with their help and, despite the biggest manhunt ever mounted on the moor, was never recaptured.
Mitchell was born in East London in 1929 and was one of seven children.
He led a life of petty crime during his younger years and from his late teens onwards, he was regularly in and out of prison.
He became increasingly violent, and picked up a reputation for attacking guards and his fellow inmates.
Mitchell was eventually sent to Rampton and then Broadmoor psychiatric hospitals, however he managed to escape out of both.
It was after his second escape that he picked up the name The Mad Axeman.
He broke into a private home after making his escape from Broadmoor, and held a couple hostage with an axe.
In October 1958 Mitchell was sentenced to life imprisonment for robbery with violence.
He was sent to Dartmoor Prison, where his behaviour is said to have improved.
But in 1966, with the help of the Krays, he managed to escape.
It led to a political storm, with the prison accused of having poor security, and national newspapers launched a campaign to find who they called “Britain’s most violent convict”.
The Krays found him difficult though, and so a few weeks later they hired some men to kill him.
He was shot dead and his body was reportedly dumped in the English Channel, never to be found.
Claims were made by Ronnie Kray in 1988 that Mitchell hadn’t been killed, and that the Krays had him smuggled out of the country, however this was never proven.
Where is Dartmoor Prison, and why is it famous?
HM Prison Dartmoor is a Category C men’s prison in Princetown, Devon, housing up to 689 inmates.
It was opened in 1809, whilst England was at war with Napoleonic France, and was filled up almost straight away.
It was purpose built with huge stone walls in an area that was a long way away from anywhere else.
In Dartmoor Prison’s early years it was incredibly crowded with appalling conditions.
Between 1813 and 1815 around 6,500 American prisoners were held there.
It closed shortly after, before reopening in 1850 as a penal colony.
In 1920 it began housing UK criminals, and over the years it was home to some of country’s most notorious and dangerous lags.
As well as “The Mad Axeman” Frank Mitchell, Kray associate Jack “The Hat” McVitie and John Haigh – AKA “The Acid Bath Murderer” – were banged up there.
In recent times HMP Dartmoor has been home to lower category prisoners.
They live in single cell accommodation that’s spread over six residential units:
- Arch Tor
- Burra Tor
- Down Tor
- East Tor
- Fox Tor
- Granite Tor
There have been concerns raised recently about the condition of the building.
What does Rob Rinder say about the prison in his new documentary?
Rob Rinder travels to Broadmoor Prison for the show Britain Behind Bars: A Secret History, where he explores what happens when a brutal regime pushes inmates to their limit.
The series promises to look at a secret history of Britain behind prison walls that goes back centuries.
He’ll explore HMP Broadmoor’s history, with stories of its troubled early days and the notorious criminals it’s held over the years.
How to watch Britain Behind Bars: A Secret History
Britain Behind Bar: A Secret History airs on Channel 4 from Sunday, 21 July 2024 at 9pm.
The first show in the series explores the history of Dartmoor Prison, with later episodes looking at Shrewsbury and Shepton Mallet Prisons.
The show is available to catch up on Channel 4’s streaming service.