Ian Brady
'No likelihood' of Ian Brady's ashes being spread on Moors, inquest told
Inquest told child killer's body is being held under police guard until it is release
Dan Kay
Ian Brady's lawyer says there is "no likelihood" his ashes will be spread on Saddleworth Moor, an inquest has heard.
Senior coroner Christopher Sumner told the hearing at Southport Town Hall the body of the 79-year-old Moors Murderer would be released to the executor of his will, solicitor Robin Makin, at 2pm on Thursday.
The inquest was told the body is being held under police guard until it is released.
The inquest was opened on Tuesday following Brady's death at Ashworth High Secure Hospital at 6.02pm on Monday.
Ian Brady, who has died aged 79
Mr Sumner had asked for assurances the killer's ashes would not be spread on Saddleworth Moor and that a funeral director and crematorium willing to take the body had been found.
Coroner's officer Alby Howard-Murphy said: "I spoke to Mr Makin this afternoon regarding the hearing yesterday and he was unhappy with the comments that were made in court yesterday and suggested that there is no likelihood that the ashes would be spread on Saddleworth Moor.
"I have since had an email from Mr Makin.
"He has said that the comments made about the disposal of ashes, widely reported, are untrue."
Police searching on Saddleworth Moor in 1965 for victims of moors murderer Ian Brady (Image: PA Wire)
Mr Howard-Murphy said Mr Makin had told him Brady's will was a "private document" unless it was submitted to probate.
Michael Armstrong, counsel for Merseyside Police, asked for the release of the body to be delayed.
He said: "The deceased's body is currently under police guard.
"Upon release to the executor the police will no longer be in a position to provide any assurances in respect of the safety of the body."
He said officers understood there were no suggestions that Mr Makin had made arrangements within the Sefton local authority to have Brady's body dealt with.
Mr Sumner said he would delay the release of the body for almost 24 hours to allow the police time to "negotiate" with Mr Makin about arrangements.
Mr Makin had called for the inquest to be concluded on Wednesday as a post-mortem showed Brady died of natural causes.
But Mr Sumner said he would deal with the inquest in a "full, frank and fearless manner".
He said Brady had spent more than 50 years in custody and he believed Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights was engaged.
He said: "There are some people in England who will wonder why Mr Brady, and now that he has died, why he should have any human rights when he denied human rights to people himself, but we abide and live by the rule of the law."
The hearing was told Brady's cause of death was cor pulmonale, a form of heart failure, secondary to bronchopneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or lung disease.
Mr Sumner said a full inquest would be held on June 29.
In 1966, Brady and Myra Hindley were jailed for life for the killings of John Kilbride, 12, 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans, 17.
They went on to admit the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, and 12-year-old Keith Bennett.
Glasgow-born Brady had been held at Ashworth since 1985.
In 2013 he asked to be moved to a Scottish prison so he could not be force fed, as he could be in hospital, and where he could be allowed to die if he wished.
His request was rejected after Ashworth medical experts said he had chronic mental illness and needed continued care in hospital.
In February, he was refused permission to launch a High Court fight to have the lawyer of his choice representing him at a tribunal where the decision would be reviewed.
At the inquest hearing on Tuesday the court heard he had been looked after by a palliative care team for two weeks before his death because of his deteriorating health.
Merseyside Police