Peter Bryan was born on October 4, 1969, in London, England. He was the youngest of seven children in a family of immigrants from Barbados. Growing up in a large family, Bryan attended Shaftesbury Junior School in Forest Gate. After that, he moved on to Trinity Secondary School in Canning Town. He left school at around 14 or 15 years old.

After leaving school, Bryan found a job working at a clothes stall. Later, he transitioned to teaching cooking lessons at a local soup kitchen. His early work experiences were part of his life in East London, where he lived in different neighborhoods as he grew up.

As a young adult, Bryan faced challenges. He had a difficult upbringing in a large family, and there were periods of instability in his life. Reports indicate that he struggled with mental health issues as he got older, which affected his behavior and relationships.

In 1987, Peter Bryan lived in a place called the Flying Angel in East London. There, he tried to throw another resident out of a sixth-floor window. The police were called to the scene, but they did not take any action against him.

In 1993, Bryan murdered 21-year-old Nisha Sheth by beating her with a hammer. He was convicted and sent to Rampton Secure Hospital in 1994 for treatment. In 2001, he was transferred to a less secure facility called the John Howard Centre after staff thought he had improved.

After a while, he was moved to Riverside Hostel in north London, where he could leave whenever he wanted. However, in 2004, he was moved to an open psychiatric ward after being accused of indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl.

On February 17, 2004, just hours after being discharged from the mental health unit, Bryan killed his friend Brian Cherry. He reportedly dismembered Cherry's body and cooked part of his brain. Police found him covered in blood and brandishing a knife.

Bryan was sent back to Broadmoor Hospital after the murder. On April 25, 2004, while still at Broadmoor, he killed another patient named Richard Loudwell. Following this murder, an inquest revealed that he had not been properly supervised.

In March 2005, Bryan pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter at Old Bailey due to diminished responsibility. The judge sentenced him to a whole-life tariff, although this was later changed to a minimum of 15 years. Bryan currently remains in Broadmoor Hospital for treatment.