High Court makes ruling on disposal of Ian Brady's body
The Moors murderer died in May and is yet to be disposed of.
Last updated 13th Oct 2017
The High Court has ruled there should be no music or ceremony when officials finally dispose of Ian Brady's body.
The decision was announced in London by the Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Geoffrey Vos.
The remains of the Moors murderer, who died aged 79 on 15th May, have not yet been disposed of following controversy over where his body would end up.
Sir Geoffrey had been asked by two Greater Manchester councils to make the decision so that he can be "lawfully and decently disposed of without further delay''.
Vos said Oldham and Tameside Councils were concerned that, five months after Brady's death, his executor, solicitor Robin Makin, had failed to make proper arrangements for the disposal.
He said: "I am satisfied that it is both necessary and expedient for the matter to be taken out of Mr Makin's hands if the deceased's body is to be disposed of quickly, lawfully and decently.
"Even after a hearing that has lasted for one and a half days, the parties have not been able to agree precisely how the deceased's body should be disposed of.
"Section 116 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 and the court's inherent jurisdiction over estates allows it in this case to give directions as to who should dispose of the deceased body, and as to how it should be disposed of.''
He added: "I decline to permit the playing of the fifth movement of the Symphony Fantastique at the cremation as Mr Makin requested.
"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's victims once it became known it had been played.
"It was not suggested by Mr Makin that the deceased had requested any other music to be played or any other ceremony to be performed, and in those circumstances, I propose to direct that there be no music and no ceremony.'
Brady and Myra Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s.
Four of the victims were buried on Saddleworth Moor in the south Pennines.
Brady was jailed for three murders in 1966. He and Hindley later confessed to another two murders.