Judge denies Brady’s wish for ‘diabolical’ funeral music

IAN BRADY’S dying wish to have “offensive” music played at his funeral has been denied by a judge.

The Moors murderer had requested that Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, which has been described as a “diabolical orgy”, be played as his ashes were scattered.

But a High Court judge has ruled that “uniquely evil” Brady, who died in May aged 79, should be disposed of with “no music and no ceremony”.

Sir Geoffrey Vos, the chancellor of the High Court, said the music, in which the composer envisaged hideous monsters gathering to laugh at a funeral, would cause offence to the families of Brady’s victims.

He said: “As the composer’s programme notes describe, the theme and subject of the piece means legitimate offence would be caused to the families of the deceased victims once it became known had it been played.”

Five children were tortured and murdered in the Sixties by Brady and Myra Hindley, who died in prison in 2002. Four victims were buried on Saddleworth Moor in the south Pennines.

Robin Makin, Brady’s executor, said there was “no likelihood” Brady’s ashes would be spread on Saddleworth Moor, but refused to say what he intended to do with them if allowed custody.

Sir Geoffrey made it clear that he had no doubt that Mr Makin could be trusted, but said the matter had “simply gone on far too long”.

He said: “Mr Makin has not been justified in being so secretive about how he was intending to dispose of the deceased’s body.

“Even if I were to limit him to private ground against his wishes, that ground might be somewhere that public access was possible.”

The judge ruled that Tameside council should be entrusted with the remains for disposal.

Brady was jailed for life in 1966 for the killing of John Kilbride, aged 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17. He later confessed to the murder of Keith Bennett, 12, whose body has never been recovered.