What does the cryptic crossword clue "Historic criminal about to tear up prison (7)" mean?

The definition is "Historic criminal". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). C (synonym="about") + RIP (synonym="tear up") + PEN (synonym="prison") = CRIPPEN The answer is CRIPPEN.

Historic criminal about to tear up prison (7)

Independent Cryptic #11726 | 29 Across | 2024-05-10 flower

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