Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The untouchable17
Police guard on Brady body as undertakers refuse to take him
IAN Brady’s body is under police guard to prevent revenge attacks for his despicable crimes.
It has also emerged all funeral directors approached so far have refused to be involved in the child killer’s cremation. The coroner agreed yesterday to delay the release of the body to Brady’s solicitor until 2pm today, to allow more time for arrangements to be made. Brady, 79, died in Ashworth high security psychiatric hospital in Sefton, Merseyside, on Monday, and the corpse is in the mortuary at an NHS hospital. Funeral director Ian Dallinger said: “People are commenting they would not expect anyone to take Brady’s funeral on. “I’ve never known feeling quite like it within the trade.” He added: “No one would want to do it publicly as no one would want to be associated with Brady.” At a resumed inquest, Merseyside police yesterday asked the coroner to put back the release of the Moors Murderer’s corpse. Michael Armstrong, the lawyer representing the force, said: “The deceased’s body is under police guard. “Upon release to the executor [Brady’s solicitor Robin Makin] the police will no longer be in a position to provide any assurances in relation to the safety of the body because it would be outside their jurisdiction.” There have been no direct threats but police are not taking any chances. Like the cremation of Brady’s accomplice Myra Hindley, who died aged 60, in 2002, his funeral will be held in secret because of public hatred. Assistant Chief Constable Julie Cooke said: “In view of the abhorrent nature of the offences he committed and in order to protect the public interest and the relatives of his victims, we made representations to the coroner in a bid to ensure that the remains would be disposed of in a manner which may not offend those interests.” The inquest in Southport heard it is not likely that Brady’s ashes will be spread on Saddleworth Moor where his victims were buried. Yesterday we reported on claims that he had demanded the sick send-off. The coroner Christopher Sumner asked for assurances the monster’s remains would not be scattered on the moorland near Manchester. Coroner’s officer Alby Howardmurphy said yesterday Mr Makin “was
I’ve never known feeling like it. No one wants to be associated with Brady FUNERAL DIRECTOR ON FIRMS DECLINING TO TAKE THE JOB ON
unhappy with the comments made in court... and suggested there is no likelihood the ashes would be spread” on the moor. The hearing was told Brady’s cause of death was heart failure and lung disease. He and Hindley were jailed for life in 1966 for killing John Kilbride, 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17. The evil pair went on to admit murdering Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett, 12. Keith is the only one of the five victims not to have been found. John’s brother Terry yesterday urged police to start another dig to discover the body. Keith’s brother Alan said Brady’s remains should be “destroyed by the authorities”.