'No likelihood' Ian Brady's ashes will be left on Saddleworth Moor
There were fears the child killer's remains would be scattered near his victims' graves but lawyers have now ruled this out.
Thursday 18 May 2017 14:21, UK
Lawyers representing Moors Murderer Ian Brady have said there is "no likelihood" his ashes will be scattered on Saddleworth Moor.
It was feared that his remains could be taken to the place where some of his victims were buried.
The notorious paedophile and child killer died on Monday at a secure hospital in Merseyside.
On Tuesday, at an inquest held in Southport, a coroner said he wanted a guarantee that Brady's remains would not be taken to the place where he and Myra Hindley left the bodies of three of his victims before he would release the murderer's body.
:: The Moors Murders - the victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley
The remains of Pauline Reade, John Kilbride and Lesley Ann Downey were found on Saddleworth Moor, about six miles (10km) east of Oldham.
It is feared another victim, Keith Bennett, may be buried there too, but Brady refused to say so before his death.
At a further hearing on Wednesday, the executor of Brady's will made known his feelings about the restrictions but offered some reassurance.
Sky's Nick Martin, in Southport, said: "What we've seen... is the coroner locking horns with Ian Brady's executor, the lawyer Ian Makin.
:: My lucky escape from Ian Brady and Myra Hindley
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![Ian Brady]()
Image: Ian Brady in May 1966, arriving at court. A judge later called his crimes 'wicked' -
![Moors murderer Ian Brady, circa 1963]()
Image: Ian Brady, pictured around 1963, aged 25 -
![Edward Evans]()
Image: Edward Evans was among Brady's victims, beaten to death with an axe -
![Lesley Ann Downey and John Kilbride]()
Image: Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and John Kilbride, 12, were also killed by Brady -
![Keith Bennett and Pauline Reade]()
Image: Keith Bennett, 12, and Pauline Reade, 16, were also victims -
![Saddleworth Moor]()
Image: The Moors murders were carried out between July 1963 and October 1965. Pictured is Saddleworth Moor, where the bodies of three victims were found -
![Myra Hindley]()
Image: His accomplice Myra Hindley died in 2002 -
![Hindley]()
Image: Myra Hindley, as photographed by Brady. The photo was supplied by police in 2009 as they announced they had exhausted all avenues in their search for the victims' remains -
![Police dig]()
Image: A police search team pictured during the search for Keith's body -
![Winnie Johnson]()
Image: Winnie Johnson, the mother of Saddleworth Moor murder victim Keith Bennett. She died in 2012 without ever knowing where her son was buried -
![Moors murderer Ian Brady in 2013]()
Image: Brady was declared criminally insane in 1985 and is pictured here appearing via video link before a mental health tribunal in Manchester in 2013
"One of the coroner's officers read a statement from Ian Brady's executor and it started by saying he was rather unhappy with the prescriptive demands of the coroner...
"But he did say, quite crucially, that there would be no likelihood Ian Brady's ashes would be scattered on Saddleworth Moor.
"If you were to split hairs, it was not an assurance. The coroner has no legal right to dictate what Ian Brady wants to do with his ashes if it's stipulated in his will, which remains private.
"Ian Brady's lawyer knew that, he expressed that, but he did say to try and temper down any potential furore that there was no likelihood that it would happen."
He said the coroner, Christopher Sumner, struggled to hide his emotions during Wednesday's hearing, saying at one point: "Why should he have had human rights when he denied human rights to his victims."
:: Ian Brady - the notorious killer in his own words
Reacting to the pledge, John Kilbride's brother Terry told Paste BN: "He should be buried within the prison walls. We know he was in hospital for a long time but he was in prison for a long time.
"Throughout history, every inmate who has committed heinous crimes like these has been buried within the prison walls."
Merseyside Police said the force expected to have no role in guarding Brady's body once it is handed over to a funeral director.
The coroner said the executor has until 2pm tomorrow to find someone prepared to take on the role of arranging a funeral.
It emerged in the hearing that Brady died of a chest infection and pneumonia.
It was also revealed that among the requests Brady had made was that the name on his death certificate be changed from Ian Stewart, which is how he has been known for some years, to Ian Stewart-Brady.
The full inquest will take place on 29 June.