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| Ian Brady's ashes must not be scattered on moor, says coroner | Ian Brady's ashes must not be scattered on moor, says coroner |
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| Ian Brady’s ashes must not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor, where he buried four of his child victims, a coroner has said. | Ian Brady’s ashes must not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor, where he buried four of his child victims, a coroner has said. |
| Opening an inquest into the 79-year-old killer’s death, Christopher Sumner said he also wanted assurances that a funeral director and crematorium willing to take the Moors murderer’s body had been found. | Opening an inquest into the 79-year-old killer’s death, Christopher Sumner said he also wanted assurances that a funeral director and crematorium willing to take the Moors murderer’s body had been found. |
| Brady, who, along with his girlfriend Myra Hindley, tortured and murdered five children between 1963 and 1965, died in Ashworth secure hospital in Merseyside on Monday night without ever revealing where he had hidden the remains of Keith Bennett, a 12-year-old boy from Longsight in Manchester. | Brady, who, along with his girlfriend Myra Hindley, tortured and murdered five children between 1963 and 1965, died in Ashworth secure hospital in Merseyside on Monday night without ever revealing where he had hidden the remains of Keith Bennett, a 12-year-old boy from Longsight in Manchester. |
| The cause of Brady’s death was heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the inquest at Sefton coroner’s court heard. | |
| Sumner, senior coroner for Sefton in Merseyside, said he would not release Brady’s body until certain conditions were met. | Sumner, senior coroner for Sefton in Merseyside, said he would not release Brady’s body until certain conditions were met. |
| “I would like an assurance before I do so that first of all the person who asked to take over responsibility for that funeral has a funeral director willing to deal with the funeral and that he has a crematorium willing and able to cremate Mr Stewart-Brady’s body,” said Sumner, using Brady’s full name. | “I would like an assurance before I do so that first of all the person who asked to take over responsibility for that funeral has a funeral director willing to deal with the funeral and that he has a crematorium willing and able to cremate Mr Stewart-Brady’s body,” said Sumner, using Brady’s full name. |
| “I also wanted to have assurance that when Mr Stewart-Brady is cremated his ashes will not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor. I think that’s a right and proper moral judgment to make. I think it would be offensive if Mr Stewart-Brady’s ashes were scattered on Saddleworth Moor.” | “I also wanted to have assurance that when Mr Stewart-Brady is cremated his ashes will not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor. I think that’s a right and proper moral judgment to make. I think it would be offensive if Mr Stewart-Brady’s ashes were scattered on Saddleworth Moor.” |
| Brady’s death was not celebrated by Keith Bennett’s brother, according to the Bennett family lawyer, who urged Brady’s solicitor to pass on any information that could help locate Keith Bennett’s remains. | Brady’s death was not celebrated by Keith Bennett’s brother, according to the Bennett family lawyer, who urged Brady’s solicitor to pass on any information that could help locate Keith Bennett’s remains. |
| Multiple searches of Saddleworth Moor have failed to uncover Keith’s remains. Following Brady’s death, Greater Manchester police have vowed never to close the case unsolved. | Multiple searches of Saddleworth Moor have failed to uncover Keith’s remains. Following Brady’s death, Greater Manchester police have vowed never to close the case unsolved. |
| John Ainley, who represented Bennett’s late mother, Winnie Johnson, told the Guardian he had contacted Brady’s solicitor advocate to ask him to pass on “any documents and information that [Brady] may have left behind that would be relevant to the search for Keith Bennett, be that in documents he had left in his cell, or documents he had given to third parties to be opened after his death, if such documents exist”. | John Ainley, who represented Bennett’s late mother, Winnie Johnson, told the Guardian he had contacted Brady’s solicitor advocate to ask him to pass on “any documents and information that [Brady] may have left behind that would be relevant to the search for Keith Bennett, be that in documents he had left in his cell, or documents he had given to third parties to be opened after his death, if such documents exist”. |
| Just before Johnson died in 2012, one of Brady’s advocates claimed Brady had written a letter addressed to Winnie to be opened only after her death. Jackie Powell, Brady’s legal advocate at the time, claimed the letter existed during a television documentary. Police interviewed her but could not corroborate the claims. | Just before Johnson died in 2012, one of Brady’s advocates claimed Brady had written a letter addressed to Winnie to be opened only after her death. Jackie Powell, Brady’s legal advocate at the time, claimed the letter existed during a television documentary. Police interviewed her but could not corroborate the claims. |
| Brady later claimed there was no such letter. “Since 1985 I have repeatedly stated that I know/knew the whereabouts of Keith Bennett,” he wrote from Ashworth secure psychiatric hospital, “but to know or have known the whereabouts is entirely distinct from stating that a vast wilderness that changes with the seasons every year would, after 50 years, remain precisely familiar to anyone.” | Brady later claimed there was no such letter. “Since 1985 I have repeatedly stated that I know/knew the whereabouts of Keith Bennett,” he wrote from Ashworth secure psychiatric hospital, “but to know or have known the whereabouts is entirely distinct from stating that a vast wilderness that changes with the seasons every year would, after 50 years, remain precisely familiar to anyone.” |
| Ainley said he doubted such a letter existed. “At the time I was very sceptical that the letter existed,” he said. “No evidence that has come to light since has changed my view. I was never convinced.” | Ainley said he doubted such a letter existed. “At the time I was very sceptical that the letter existed,” he said. “No evidence that has come to light since has changed my view. I was never convinced.” |
| Brady’s lawyer, Robin Makin, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he would be very surprised if the killer had had any useful information about where Keith’s body was. “He did go to the moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then,” Makin said. | Brady’s lawyer, Robin Makin, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he would be very surprised if the killer had had any useful information about where Keith’s body was. “He did go to the moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then,” Makin said. |
| Keith’s brother, Alan Bennett, said he would never give up hope of finding him. Thanking supporters for their messages of support, he wrote on Facebook: “We will carry on doing whatever we can to bring Keith home.” | Keith’s brother, Alan Bennett, said he would never give up hope of finding him. Thanking supporters for their messages of support, he wrote on Facebook: “We will carry on doing whatever we can to bring Keith home.” |
| On Monday, shortly before Brady’s death was confirmed, Alan Bennett complained on Facebook that the killer had attracted a cabal of admirers who would “cash in” on their connection to the mass murderer after his death. | On Monday, shortly before Brady’s death was confirmed, Alan Bennett complained on Facebook that the killer had attracted a cabal of admirers who would “cash in” on their connection to the mass murderer after his death. |
| “Some people will be very disappointed when Brady does die because their obsession will no longer be there to receive their letters and cards of support and sympathy, whilst blaming others more than blaming him for the crimes committed,” he wrote. | “Some people will be very disappointed when Brady does die because their obsession will no longer be there to receive their letters and cards of support and sympathy, whilst blaming others more than blaming him for the crimes committed,” he wrote. |
| “They will also ‘cash in’ by running to the press with their connections to Brady through letters and/or visits. Then the books of ‘facts’ will appear, as told to them by Brady. I would suggest those could well be filed in the fiction section of a library.” | “They will also ‘cash in’ by running to the press with their connections to Brady through letters and/or visits. Then the books of ‘facts’ will appear, as told to them by Brady. I would suggest those could well be filed in the fiction section of a library.” |
| Ainley said that he spoke to Alan Bennett on Monday night after police confirmed Brady was dead. “I got the sense that there was no celebration, that it was sad, not that he was dead, but because with his death goes any hope of getting that vital piece of information,” he said. “There had always been that glimmer of hope. There was also sadness that he had never shown any remorse for the children’s death.” | Ainley said that he spoke to Alan Bennett on Monday night after police confirmed Brady was dead. “I got the sense that there was no celebration, that it was sad, not that he was dead, but because with his death goes any hope of getting that vital piece of information,” he said. “There had always been that glimmer of hope. There was also sadness that he had never shown any remorse for the children’s death.” |
| Johnson had never given up hope of finding her son’s body, said Ainley. “Knowing where he was would have been a massive relief,” he said. “Since 1969 she had never given up hope of finding Keith so she could give him a proper burial.” | Johnson had never given up hope of finding her son’s body, said Ainley. “Knowing where he was would have been a massive relief,” he said. “Since 1969 she had never given up hope of finding Keith so she could give him a proper burial.” |
| Terry Kilbride, the brother of John Kilbride, Brady and Hindley’s second victim, told the Sun he would celebrate Brady’s death with a pint, even though he did not drink. | Terry Kilbride, the brother of John Kilbride, Brady and Hindley’s second victim, told the Sun he would celebrate Brady’s death with a pint, even though he did not drink. |
| “He’s ruined our lives all these years and he’ll still ruin it even though he’s gone. I feel numb,” he said. “He was a murderous psychopath. There are no other words to describe what he was. A complete lunatic. Good riddance.” | “He’s ruined our lives all these years and he’ll still ruin it even though he’s gone. I feel numb,” he said. “He was a murderous psychopath. There are no other words to describe what he was. A complete lunatic. Good riddance.” |