Moors Murderer’s ashes buried at sea

Brady’s body cremated with ‘no music and no ceremony’ after court ruling

The ashes of Moors Murderer Ian Brady have been buried at sea in the middle of the night after his body was cremated in Southport.

The Scottish-born child killer, who used the name Ian Stewart-brady, died aged 79 on 15 May and was cremated without ceremony on 25 October.

The body was collected from the mortuary at Royal Liverpool hospital by a Tameside Council official about 9pm, court documents show.

The corpse was then taken to Southport Crematorium under police escort, where the cremation started at 10pm exactly. No music was allowed to be played at the cremation despite a personal request from the murderer.

Brady had requested the fifth movement of Hector Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique be played during the ceremony.

But the piece of music remained a contentious area betweenbrady’ssolicitor,robin Makin – who was also the executor of his will – and Oldham and Tameside councils, with Chancellor of the High Court Sir Geoffrey Vos ruling last month the remains must be disposed of with “no music and no ceremony”.

Brady’s ashes were placed in a weighted biodegradable urn. They were driven to Liverpool Marina and later dispatched at sea the following day at 2:30am.

The serial killer’s crimes shocked the nation as he tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s in partnership with Myra Hindley, who died in prison in 2002.

There were fears his remains would be scattered on Saddleworth Moor, where four of his victims were buried. Mr Makin gave assurances there was “no likelihood” of this happening, but Sir Geoffrey ruled the issue of disposal should be taken out of Mr Makin’s hands.

Brady died at Ashworth High Security Hospital in Merseyside, having been there since 1985. Brady and Hindley were convicted of luring children and teenagers to their deaths, with their victims being sexually tortured before being buried on Saddleworth Moor in the south Pennines.

Pauline Reade, 16, disappeared on her way to a disco on 12 July, 1963. John Kilbride, 12, was snatched in November that year. Keith Bennett was taken on 16 June, 1964 after he left home to visit his grandmother, while ten-year-old Lesley Ann Downey was lured away from a funfair on Boxing Day in 1964. Edward Evans, 17, was killed in October 1965.

Brady was given whole life sentences for the murders of John, Lesley Ann and Edward. Hindley was convicted of killing Lesley Ann and Edward and shielding Brady after John’s murder in being jailed for life. Both later confessed to the murders of Pauline, whose body was recovered in 1987, and Keith, whose body has never been found.

In a statement, Tameside and Oldham councils said: “We are pleased that this matter is now concluded and we are grateful for the support and professionalism shown… to ensure Ian Stewart-brady’s body and remains were disposed of expediently at sea in a manner compatible with the public interest and those of the victim’s relatives.”