Historic criminal about to tear up prison (7)

I believe the answer is:

crippen

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'historic criminal' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'about to tear up prison' is the wordplay.
'about' becomes 'c' (abbreviation for circa).
'to tear up' becomes 'rip' (I've seen this in another clue).
'prison' becomes 'pen' (both can mean an enclosure).
'c'+'rip'+'pen'='CRIPPEN'

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.