ONE BODY? IT’S MORE LIKE 15
That’s what mass murderer Dennis Nilsen said when the police turned up at his flat, as a gripping new drama will reveal
At this time of year Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill, north London, is beautiful. The blossom is out on the tree-lined street and it’s the very image of peaceful and affluent suburbia. But it once harboured a house of horrors and, when he drove down the road, actor Danny Mays would wonder about the man who lived there – one of the most notorious serial killers in British history... Dennis Nilsen.
Danny, 42, plays DCI Peter Jay in Des, a new three-part ITV drama focusing on Nilsen (David Tennant), his biographer Brian Masters (Jason Watkins), and Jay, who was called by a concerned landlord. ‘There was stuff blocking the drains which looked and smelled like human remains,’ says Danny. ‘Once they worked out which flat had caused the blockage, Peter Jay waited for Nilsen to come back from work, then asked to see his flat. ‘There was part of a torso on the coffee table. Jay recalled how Nilsen told him, “Thank God you’re here.” Jay said, “Where’s the rest of the body?” Nilsen replied, “Over there, in the wardrobe.” When they took him down to the police car one of the officers said, “Are we talking about one body or two here?” Nilsen flippantly said, “I think it’s more like 15.”’ As Jay and DI Steve McCusker (Barry Ward) investigated, more remains were found at Nilsen’s flat, along with parts of bodies at his previous home. While Nilsen has admitted killing around 15 boys and men between 1978 and 1983, some victims were never identified. He was found guilty of the murders of six men and two attempted murders and was sentenced to life in prison. He died there in 2018.
A homosexual who struggled to form relationships, he picked up young men and plied them with drink before strangling them. He’d bathe them and keep their bodies until they started decomposing. ‘Once Jay got Nilsen into an interrogation room, he came out with absolutely everything,’ says
Danny. ‘He just didn’t stop talking.’ Pictures released of former Doctor Who and Broadchurch star David Tennant show how uncannily he looks like Nilsen. ‘It was eerie,’ says Danny. ‘David is spellbinding in the role.’ drama, coming soon