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| Moors Murderer Ian Brady says insanity was 'method acting' | Moors Murderer Ian Brady says insanity was 'method acting' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Moors Murderer Ian Brady has told a mental health tribunal he used "method acting" to be classed insane. | Moors Murderer Ian Brady has told a mental health tribunal he used "method acting" to be classed insane. |
| Brady, speaking publicly for the first time in 47 years, claimed he put on the act to get transferred from prison to Ashworth Hospital. | Brady, speaking publicly for the first time in 47 years, claimed he put on the act to get transferred from prison to Ashworth Hospital. |
| He is now fighting to be found sane so he can return to prison, though he accepts he will never be freed. | He is now fighting to be found sane so he can return to prison, though he accepts he will never be freed. |
| Hospital staff believe Brady, who has fought for the right to kill himself, is mentally ill and should stay there. | Hospital staff believe Brady, who has fought for the right to kill himself, is mentally ill and should stay there. |
| Brady, now 75, and Myra Hindley tortured and murdered five children. | Brady, now 75, and Myra Hindley tortured and murdered five children. |
| The pair buried some of their victims' bodies on Saddleworth Moor in the Peak District. | The pair buried some of their victims' bodies on Saddleworth Moor in the Peak District. |
| Brady gave evidence for more than four hours at the tribunal, which is sitting at Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospital in Maghull, Merseyside, where he has been held since 1985. | Brady gave evidence for more than four hours at the tribunal, which is sitting at Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospital in Maghull, Merseyside, where he has been held since 1985. |
| Eleanor Grey QC, counsel for Ashworth, asked Brady if he was mentally ill when he was transferred to Ashworth. | Eleanor Grey QC, counsel for Ashworth, asked Brady if he was mentally ill when he was transferred to Ashworth. |
| He replied: "Have you heard of Stanislavski? | He replied: "Have you heard of Stanislavski? |
| "If you knew who Stanislavski is... have you heard of method acting? Does that make it clear to you?" | "If you knew who Stanislavski is... have you heard of method acting? Does that make it clear to you?" |
| Brady also said: "I am not psychotic." | Brady also said: "I am not psychotic." |
| 'Not eating anything' | 'Not eating anything' |
| Brady's legal team say he has a severe personality disorder but is not mentally ill and could be treated in prison rather than hospital. | Brady's legal team say he has a severe personality disorder but is not mentally ill and could be treated in prison rather than hospital. |
| But staff at Ashworth say he remains a paranoid schizophrenic who should stay at the hospital. | But staff at Ashworth say he remains a paranoid schizophrenic who should stay at the hospital. |
| Brady is said to have been on hunger strike since 1999, with doctors feeding him through a tube in his nose under mental health law - but on Monday a nurse told the tribunal Brady made himself toast every day and ate other food offered to him "most days". | Brady is said to have been on hunger strike since 1999, with doctors feeding him through a tube in his nose under mental health law - but on Monday a nurse told the tribunal Brady made himself toast every day and ate other food offered to him "most days". |
| When asked about this, Brady replied: "According to whom? I'm not eating anything." | When asked about this, Brady replied: "According to whom? I'm not eating anything." |
| As to why he wanted to leave Ashworth, he said he hated it because "the regime has changed to a penal warehouse". | As to why he wanted to leave Ashworth, he said he hated it because "the regime has changed to a penal warehouse". |
| "They give you false drugs and turn you into a zombie," he added. | "They give you false drugs and turn you into a zombie," he added. |
| But Brady refused to answer a question from his own lawyer about whether he wanted to kill himself if he was declared fit to return to prison. | But Brady refused to answer a question from his own lawyer about whether he wanted to kill himself if he was declared fit to return to prison. |
| "I have been asked the question repeatedly," he said. | "I have been asked the question repeatedly," he said. |
| "I have answered hypothetically from all angles. | "I have answered hypothetically from all angles. |
| "In prison you are a monkey in a cage being poked with a stick. How can you pretend to be omnipotent? | "In prison you are a monkey in a cage being poked with a stick. How can you pretend to be omnipotent? |
| "You cannot make plans when you have no freedom of control, movement or anything. | "You cannot make plans when you have no freedom of control, movement or anything. |
| "You cannot talk sensibly about anything with a question like that." | "You cannot talk sensibly about anything with a question like that." |
| Brady called Britain a "psychopathic country", referring to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and described himself as a "comparable petty criminal". | Brady called Britain a "psychopathic country", referring to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and described himself as a "comparable petty criminal". |
| When asked about his own crimes and what "value" he got out of killing, Brady responded: "Existential experience." | |
| Public opinion | Public opinion |
| He said he would never be released because the British public wanted him to stay in custody. | He said he would never be released because the British public wanted him to stay in custody. |
| "Whatever I want, the public and the press want the opposite," he said. | "Whatever I want, the public and the press want the opposite," he said. |
| "That's my experience in the last 50 years." | "That's my experience in the last 50 years." |
| Speaking about the media, he added: "Why are they still talking about Jack the Ripper after a century? Because of the dramatic background, the fog, cobbled streets. | Speaking about the media, he added: "Why are they still talking about Jack the Ripper after a century? Because of the dramatic background, the fog, cobbled streets. |
| "Mine's the same... Wuthering Heights, Hound of the Baskervilles." | "Mine's the same... Wuthering Heights, Hound of the Baskervilles." |
| Asked how he had spent his time in prison over the years, he said he had studied psychology and German and had worked on Braille texts. | Asked how he had spent his time in prison over the years, he said he had studied psychology and German and had worked on Braille texts. |
| He said he had also worked as a barber at Wormwood Scrubs before he was sent to Ashworth. | He said he had also worked as a barber at Wormwood Scrubs before he was sent to Ashworth. |
| Brady said he had mainly stayed in his room for the past 10 months because of "negative, regressive, provocative staff that I am avoiding" and disputed that this was because of paranoia about other patients. | Brady said he had mainly stayed in his room for the past 10 months because of "negative, regressive, provocative staff that I am avoiding" and disputed that this was because of paranoia about other patients. |
| The serial killer, who said he had mixed down the years with the Kray twins and IRA terrorists, added: "Only the authorities call it paranoia - the prisoners say it is sensible suspicion." | The serial killer, who said he had mixed down the years with the Kray twins and IRA terrorists, added: "Only the authorities call it paranoia - the prisoners say it is sensible suspicion." |
| 'Affront to justice' | 'Affront to justice' |
| The brother of one of Brady's victims has called the mental health tribunal "a complete waste of taxpayers' money". | The brother of one of Brady's victims has called the mental health tribunal "a complete waste of taxpayers' money". |
| "To give him anything is an affront to moral justice," said Terry Kilbride, brother of John, who was snatched in November 1963 aged 12. | "To give him anything is an affront to moral justice," said Terry Kilbride, brother of John, who was snatched in November 1963 aged 12. |
| "He gave his victims nothing." | "He gave his victims nothing." |
| Mr Kilbride said the money should have gone towards finding the body of another victim, Keith Bennett. | Mr Kilbride said the money should have gone towards finding the body of another victim, Keith Bennett. |
| David Kirwan, former solicitor of Keith Bennett's mother, who died last year, estimated the tribunal would cost £250,000 in total. | David Kirwan, former solicitor of Keith Bennett's mother, who died last year, estimated the tribunal would cost £250,000 in total. |
| The hearing is being relayed to the press and public on TV screens at Manchester Civil Justice Centre. | The hearing is being relayed to the press and public on TV screens at Manchester Civil Justice Centre. |
| The tribunal will hear closing statements on Wednesday, with its decision expected on Thursday. | The tribunal will hear closing statements on Wednesday, with its decision expected on Thursday. |
| The last time Brady was heard in public was in 1966 at Chester Assizes, where he denied the murders. | The last time Brady was heard in public was in 1966 at Chester Assizes, where he denied the murders. |
| He was eventually found guilty of three of the murders and jailed for life. He and Hindley later confessed to the other two. Hindley died in prison in 2002, aged 60. | He was eventually found guilty of three of the murders and jailed for life. He and Hindley later confessed to the other two. Hindley died in prison in 2002, aged 60. |