Welcome to the first edition of 2022. Thank you all for joining  the fun this year. A few of the old regulars have dropped out this year, so the group is slightly smaller. As always, please update your email lists if you intend to use them, otherwise we’re all going to be using the Telegram Group going forward.

Look Who You Could Have Had 2021:

• Janice Long, 66, English disc jockey (BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Wales) and television presenter (Top of the Pops), pneumonia. 
• April Ashley, 86, English model, actress (The Road to Hong Kong), and writer. 
• John Madden, 85, American football coach (Oakland Raiders) and sportscaster. 
• Grichka Bogdanoff, 72, French television presenter and academic fraudster (Bogdanov affair), COVID-19.
• Betty White, 99, American actress (The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hot in Cleveland) and comedian, five-time Emmy winner.

Look Who You Could Have Had 2022:

• Gary Burgess, 46, British broadcaster (ITV Channel Television), cancer.

In Other News

Prior to her death on New Years Eve, Dead Pool favourite Betty White shared her secrets to a long, healthy life ahead of her 100th birthday. Betty, who would have turned 100 on 17th January, reflected on her longevity and health in an interview with People magazine for this week’s cover issue, which will now probably be rewritten, much like this article! Betty revealed that she felt “so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age”. According to White, one of her secrets pertained to her diet, with the actor telling the outlet: “I try to avoid anything green. I think it’s working.” This is not the first time White had shared insight into her eating habits, as she previously said that she loved vodka and hot dogs, “probably in that order”. The Golden Girls actor, who had been acting since high school said “I got it from my mom, and that never changed,” she said. “I always find the positive.” While the Grammy winner had been in the public eye for a large part of the last 10 decades, she did enjoy a “quiet life” at home in Los Angeles, California, where she liked to play crossword puzzles and card games, and watch animal documentaries, golf and Jeopardy! For the issue celebrating White, People also spoke with some of the actor’s former co-stars, such as Sandra Bullock, who praised the 99-year-old’s comedic timing. “Timing isn’t easy in comedy, because you have to navigate other people’s timing. Betty pivoted like I have never seen, making it look seamless,” she said. “The rest of us just remain silent and pray we’re not cut out of the scene.” As for how she hopes White celebrates her centennial birthday, Bullock said she wants her to embrace the day “the same way she has celebrated every day of her life with humour, kindness and a vodka on ice, toasting to the fact that she’s a badass who has left us all in the dust”. Well Sandra, that prediction didn’t come true! Carol Burnett also had praise for the late star, who she applauded for her ability to “twist a line to get a laugh”. “She’d come on my show, and if there was a tinge of risqué humour in one of our sketches, she’d roll with it and make it even funnier and add a little wink to show that she was thinking of something sexy,” Burnett said. “She’s not a stand-up. She’s not a jokester. It’s the way she can twist a line to get a laugh.”  According to Mary Steenburgen, the Hot in Cleveland star also enjoyed shocking people with her humour in real life, as she said that White “loves to throw her little F-bombs around and does it with this beautifully dimpled smile”. While many had praise for White’s humour, Steenburgen’s husband, Ted Danson, who worked alongside White on her ocean conservation efforts, said that he looked to the longtime actor for guidance on how to live. “It’s not like she’s just a bubbly, joyful person. She woke up every day and chose to be that way,” he said. “I think she lead a very purposeful life.”   

One of the UK’s most dangerous serial killers will die in an underground glass box after his last-ditch appeal to live alongside other prisoners was rejected. Robert Maudsley, 68, is being held in a private underground cell beneath the general population of HMP Wakefield, after killing four men between 1974 and 1978. The Liverpudlian, who killed child molesters and one wife killer, was told this week that he will be incarcerated in his ‘glass box’ until he dies.  It came after bosses at the prison ruled him too dangerous to mix with prisoners and guards at the West Yorkshire jail. An insider said: ‘He was told no last month but appealed against the decision and wanted to spend Christmas in the presence of other humans. But he’s just been told no for the final time. Being alone for that long does something to you. He isn’t OK and they cannot take the risk of what he might do.They simply cannot take the risk.’ Maudsley must now live out the rest of his days in a 5.5 x 4.5 metre cell, which was built especially for him in 1983 and is protected by bullet proof glass. He spends 23 hours of each day in the cell, sleeping on a concrete slab and using a toilet and sink which are bolted to the floor. He also has a table and chair made of compressed cardboard. The convicted killer, from Toxteth, Liverpool, committed his first murder in 1974, aged just 21. He killed John Farrell in Wood Green London, after he showed Maudsley pictures of children he had sexually abused. He handed himself in to police and was deemed unfit to stand trial, and was sent to Broadmoor Hospital, home to some of Britain’s most violent inmates. Maudsley generally stayed out of trouble for his first few years behind bars, before he and fellow prisoner David Cheeseman locked themselves in a cell with child molester David Francis in 1977. They tortured Francis to death before dangling his body for prison guards to see. Maudsley was convicted of manslaughter and sent to HMP Wakefield. In 1978, Maudsley strangled and stabbed Salney Darwood, 46, who had been jailed for killing his wife. He hid Darwood’s body under bed before sneaking into the cell of paedophile Bill Roberts, 56, who had sexually abused a girl aged seven. He stabbed Roberts, hacked his skull with a makeshift dagger and smashed his head against a wall. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he never be released. In 2000, he begged the courts to allow him to die, writing in a letter: ‘What purpose is served by keeping me locked up 23 hours a day? Why even bother to feed me and to give me one hour’s exercise a day? Who actually am I a risk to? As a consequence of my current treatment and confinement, I feel that all I have to look forward to is indeed psychological breakdown, mental illness and probable suicide. Why can’t I have a budgie instead of flies, cockroaches and spiders which I currently have. I promise to love it and not eat it? Why can’t I have a television in my cell to see the world and learn? Why can’t I have any music tapes and listen to beautiful classical music? If the Prison Service says no then I ask for a simple cyanide capsule which I shall willingly take and the problem of Robert John Maudsley can easily and swiftly be resolved.’ The Ministry of Justice said it does not comment on the cases of individual prisoners.

On This Day

• 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.  
• 1967 – Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.  
• 1971 – The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic association football match.  
• 1976 – The Gale of January 1976 begins, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, affecting countries from Ireland to Yugoslavia and causing at least 82 deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage.  
• 1981 – One of the largest investigations by a British police force ends when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the “Yorkshire Ripper”, is arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Deaths

• 1953 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founder of Gucci (b. 1881). 
• 2011 – Anne Francis, American actress (b. 1930). 
• 2011 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (b. 1946). 
• 2019 – Gene Okerlund, American wrestling announcer (b. 1942). 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tia Carrere (55), Kate Bosworth (39), Cuba Gooding Jr. (54), Sam Spruell (46), Frank Langella (84), Jennifer Hale (57), Sharon Small (55), Val Kilmer (62), Anthony Hopkins (84), Ben Kingsley (78), Gong Li (56), Jane Badler (68), Tracey Ullman (62), Eliza Dushku (41), Fred Ward (79), Caity Lotz (35), Tiger Woods (46), Lilly Wachowski (54), Jude Law (49), Jon Voight (83), Ted Danson (74), Danny McBride (45), Patrick Fischler (52), Bernard Cribbins (93), Marianne Faithfull (75), Denzel Washington (67), Maggie Smith (87), Joe Manganiello (45), Noomi Rapace (42), Sienna Miller (40), Nichelle Nichols (89), John Legend (43), Timothée Chalamet (26), Olivia Cooke (28), Gérard Depardieu (73), John Amos (82), Wilson Cruz (48), and Maryam d’Abo (61).

Well, what an end to the year!!! With Betty White popping off very late in the day, she totally upset everything! With rewritten lists for 2022, and most of all, toppling Laura from the top of the league table in what looked to be a sure thing!  I literally had the trophy in the back of the car to drive over!! 

So to declare the winner! Well done Ceri, with an amazing 580 points!! Including both Cert and Woman and the first death of the year, you can’t do better than that! Commiserations to Laura, nipped at the post at the last minute with 574 points!!! An honourable mention to Paul C for coming third with 453 points and a whopping 8 deaths out of 13!!! 

Just above we have a St Pepper’s of all of those who have died during 2021, shared with us by Nickie on the Telegram group. If you click on the image you will get the full size picture, likewise with the answers below; see if you can name them all.

Right, let’s have a quick look at who we lost in 2021. 

January

• Larry King had a career spanning more than six decades and thousands of interviews, quizzing world leaders and entertainers. His broadcasting fame began in the 1970s with his radio programme The Larry King Show and he went on to have his own television show, Larry King Live on CNN. He died in hospital in Los Angeles, aged 87, a few weeks after contracting coronavirus. Later US media reports said his immediate cause of death was sepsis and not the virus. 
• Gerry Marsden of Gerry And The Pacemakers, was perhaps best known for covering the Rogers And Hammerstein song You’ll Never Walk Alone with his band – leading Liverpool Football Club to adopt it as their official motto and anthem. Born in the Toxteth area of Liverpool in 1942, Marsden also penned the ’60s hits Ferry Cross the Mersey and Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying. He died in hospital at the age of 78, with his agent paying tribute to a musical “legend”. 
• Siegfried Fischbacher was world renowned for his Las Vegas magic shows involving white lions and tigers, with his illusionist partner Roy Horn. Both born in Germany, and co-founded their stage act after meeting on a cruise ship in the late 1950s. They took the show to Las Vegas in 1967 and went on to perform for the next four decades, becoming a Vegas institution. The illusionist died at his home in the Nevada city at the age of 81, after suffering with pancreatic cancer. 
• Marion Ramsey The actress and singer was best known for her role as squeaky-voiced Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy films. She got her big screen break in the first Police Academy film in 1984, a comedy franchise about a group of misfit police recruits causing havoc on the streets of America. The films became cult classics, with Ramsey starring in six of the seven films. She died at her Los Angeles home aged 73.
• Phil Spector, known for his Wall of Sound production method, Spector worked with a number of stars in the 1960/70s. In 2009, he was jailed for a minimum sentence of 19 years for murdering actress Lana Clarkson. He always maintained his innocence and claimed Clarkson died from accidental suicide. He died in prison at the age of 81 after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. 
• Pierre Cardin The legendary designer Pierre Cardin, whose futuristic and stylish designs helped revolutionise fashion in the 1950s and 60s. The French fashion giant, whose career spanned more than 70 years, helped usher in the post-war “golden age” of couture with his modern style. He broke ground by bringing designer styles to the masses with some of the first ready-to-wear collections. He died in hospital at the age of 98.

February

• Captain Sir Tom Moore After inspiring the nation during lockdown by raising tens of millions of pounds for the NHS in 2020. He had become a national treasure and a household name after raising more than £32m for the health service by walking 100 laps of his garden with his Zimmer frame – and was knighted for his efforts by the Queen at Windsor Castle. He died at the age of 100 after contracting COVID-19. 
• Christopher Plummer was best known for playing Captain von Trapp in The Sound Of Music, but had more recently starred in Knives Out, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and A Beautiful Mind. Amongst the most decorated in his field, he won an Oscar, two Primetime Emmys, two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA during his career. He died at home in the US, aged 91. 
• Johnny Briggs played Coronation Street’s Mike Baldwin for 30 years, an often unscrupulous character known for his affair with Deirdre Barlow and his long-running feud with her husband, Ken. Briggs starred in 2,349 episodes of the successful ITV soap. Briggs died at the age of 85, following a long illness, rumoured to have been cancer. 
• Rush Limbaugh was a US radio host known for his controversial views on climate change, feminism and homosexuality. Limbaugh was a staunch supporter of Donald Trump during his time in office, which probably tells you all you need to know about him. He died of advanced lung cancer aged 70. 
• Larry Flynt the founder of porn magazine Hustler and campaigner for the First Amendment in the US. Flynt was one of the biggest names in pornography, founding Hustler magazine in 1974. From there, he built a portfolio of clubs, publications, adult films and casinos – but attracted a number of lawsuits involving the right to free speech. He died from heart failure at the age of 78.  

March

• Murray Walker‘s The legendary Formula One commentators voice provided the backing track to some of the sport’s most iconic moments, from James Hunt’s 1976 championship win over Niki Lauda, to Nigel Mansell’s 1992 title triumph. His career in broadcasting spanned more than 50 years, for the BBC and ITV, before he retired from commentating in 2001. Sadly he died at the age of 97 after being diagnosed with he blood cancer lymphoma. 
• Yaphet Kotto, best known for his turn as a James Bond villain in Live And Let Die. He was the franchise’s first black antagonist, playing Dr Kananga and his alter-ego Mr Big in the 1973 film opposite the late Sir Roger Moore as 007. He also starred as technician Dennis Parker in Alien in 1979 and opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987 action film The Running Man. He died at the age of 81 near Manila, his wife declined to reveal his cause of death. 
• Sabine Schmitz the Queen of the Nürburgring and occasional Top Gear star was probably best known for beating Jeremy Clarkson whilst driving a white van. Schmitz had previously revealed that she had been suffering with cancer since 2017. She died at the age of 51. 
• Ian St John the Scottish professional football player, coach and broadcaster. St John played as a forward for Liverpool throughout most of the 1960s. He later became media pundit and co-presented the topical football show Saint and Greavsie with Jimmy Greaves from 1985 to 1992. He died after a long battle against bladder cancer at the age of 82. 

April

• Prince Philip died just two months before his 100th birthday. He had been married to Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years and was the longest-serving consort in British history, carrying out more than 22,000 solo engagements by the time he stepped back from public life in 2017. Known for his mischievous sense of humour – as well as the occasional gaffe – he once jokingly referred to himself as “the world’s most experienced plaque unveiler”. 
• Helen McCrory died at the age of 52 after being diagnosed with cancer. She was best known as crime family matriarch Polly from Peaky Blinders, appearing in the show from 2013 to 2019. She was a versatile actress with a career on stage and screen spanning almost 30 years. 
• Nikki Grahame shot to fame in Big Brother in 2006, entering the famous house dressed as a Playboy bunny and going on to become one of the series’ most memorable contestants. While in the house, she became well known for her tantrums, including the infamous “who is she?!” rant in the diary room chair. She died after a long-running battle against eating disorders, aged 38. 
• DMX died one week after suffering a “catastrophic cardiac arrest”. The 50-year-old, whose real name was Earl Simmons, had been admitted to intensive care in New York. DMX was signed by Columbia Records in 1992 and released his first album, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, in 1998. In all, he released seven albums and received three Grammy nominations throughout his career. Known for repeatedly being arrested and jailed, he suffered with a drug addiction and numerous trips to rehab. 
• Paul Ritter was an actor was widely loved for his portrayal of dad Martin Goodman in the successful Channel 4 TV show Friday Night Dinner. The actor, also starred in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, the acclaimed TV series Chernobyl and the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace. He died of a brain tumour with his family by his side at the age of 54. 
• Bernie Madoff the fraudster and financier who ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion!! For his crimes he was sentenced to 150 years in prison. He died in prison of kidney failure at the age of 82.

May

• Charles Grodin was best known for his roles in The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run and two Beethoven movies. Steve Martin was among those paying tribute following his death, describing Grodin as “one of the funniest people I ever met”. He died at the age of 86 from bone marrow cancer. 
• Eric Carle was the man behind children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, published in 1969, which told the story of a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. The story sold more than 40 million copies around the world, was translated into 60 languages and was turned into everything from cuddly toys to stage shows. He died from kidney failure, a few weeks before his 92nd birthday. 
• Nick Kamen was best known for stripping off in a launderette to wash his jeans in the famous 1980s Levi’s advert. In their tribute, Levi’s described the star as “the man who made the 501 even more iconic”. Kamen, whose real name was Ivor Neville Kamen launched a career in pop music in 1986 with the number five hit Each Time You Break My Heart, a collaboration with Madonna from his eponymous debut album. Kamen died at his London home aged 59, following a long battle with bone marrow cancer.  
• Max Mosley was a barrister, amateur racing driver and president of the FIA. Mosley was the youngest son of Sir Oswald Mosley, former leader of the British Union of Fascists. In 2008, Mosley won a court case (Mosley v News Group Newspapers) against the News of the World newspaper which had reported his involvement in what they said was a Nazi-themed sex act involving five women, on the grounds that it had breached his privacy. He died on at the age of 81 after suffering from cancer. 

June

• Ned Beatty was an Oscar-nominated character actor who appeared in dozens of films and TV shows throughout his career. Rising to fame with a role in Deliverance in 1972 – which was controversial due to his character’s rape scene – he went on to appear in films including Superman alongside Christopher Reeve, Network, All The President’s Men, and Charlie Wilson’s War. He died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, aged 83.  
• Ben Roberts the Welsh actor most famous for his portrayal of Chief Inspector Derek Conway in the ITV British television series The Bill. Other numerous television appearances include The Professionals and Casualty. He died at the age of 70. 
• John McAfee was a British-American computer programmer who wrote the first commercial anti-virus software, founding McAfee Associates to sell his creation. In later years he ran for the presidential office but also had many legal issues, including murder and tax evasion. He was found dead at the age of 75 due to an apparent suicide by hanging in his prison cell near Barcelona shortly after his extradition to the U.S. was authorised.

July

• Dusty Hill was the bassist and vocalist with US rock band ZZ Top. Born Joe Michael Hill in Dallas, he formed the group in Houston in 1969 with bandmates Frank Beard and guitarist Billy Gibbons, and soon after they recorded their debut album, ZZ Top’s First Album, in 1970. The band had still been performing up until not long before Hill’s death at the age of 72. 
• Robert Downey Sr the renowned filmmaker and father to Robert Downey Jr. Born in 1936 in New York City as Robert Elias Jr, he changed his name to Downey so he could enlist in the army. After he left the military, Downey Sr made his name as a radical and anti-establishment filmmaker, and is known for projects such as Putney Swope and Greaser’s Palace. He passed away at the age of 85 after having Parkinson’s disease for over five years. 
• Richard Donner the film-maker was behind some of the most popular films of the 1980s, including The Goonies, The Omen, the Lethal Weapon series and the original Superman. The New York-born director started his career in TV in the 1960s, taking charge of episodes of shows such as The Man from UNCLE, The Twilight Zone and Kojak. He died at home at the age of 91 of cardiopulmonary failure with atherosclerosis as an underlying cause. 
• Tom O’Connor started out as a teacher, before launching a comedy career in working men’s clubs. The first comedian to win Opportunity Knocks three times running, he established himself as a household name through the 1970s and ’80s and hosted Name That Tune and Crosswits. His brand of humour was 100% clean and always totally family friendly. O’Connor, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2007, died in hospital aged 81. 
• Andy Fordham was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters. Fordham died in hospital from organ failure after a long battle with health problems. He was 59. 

August

• Charlie Watts joined The Rolling Stones as their drummer in 1963, playing on legendary rock hits including I Can’t Get No Satisfaction, Paint It Black and Brown Sugar. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an interest in music at a young age. He was often regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Watts died at a London hospital, at the age of 80, with his family around him. 
• Sean Lock was best known for panel shows 8 Out Of 10 Cats and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. His death came as a huge shock in August. Aged 58, the star had been suffering from cancer but kept his diagnosis private. 
• Una Stubbs enjoyed a stellar television career which included appearances in numerous shows, but she was best known for her roles in Till Death Us Do Part, Give Us a Clue, Sherlock and Worzel Gummidge. She died after several months of ill health at the age of 84, with her family around her. 

September

• Sarah Harding rose to fame with the girl group Girls Aloud on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, alongside Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The band got to Christmas number one that year with their debut single, Sound Of The Underground, and went on to become one of the most successful pop groups in British music history. She died aged 39 after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.  
• Michael K Williams was a multiple Emmy nominee who earned nods for his roles in Bessie, The Night Of, When They See Us and, earlier this year, Lovecraft Country. The Brooklyn-born star also won fans for his role as Chalky White in the period gangster series Boardwalk Empire, but was best known for playing Omar Little in hit crime drama The Wire. He died at the age of 54 from an accidental drug overdose. 
• Sir Clive Sinclair, was an English entrepreneur and inventor, best known for being a pioneer in the computing and electronics industries in the 1970s and early 1980s. His most famous inventions included a calculator, the ZX Spectrum and the spectacular commercial failure C5 Battery Vehicle. He died in London following an illness related to cancer that he had for over a decade. He was 81 years old.
• Jimmy Greaves,was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. He is England’s fifth-highest international goalscorer (44 goals), Tottenham Hotspur’s highest ever goalscorer (266 goals), the highest goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football (357 goals), and also scored more hat-tricks (six) for England than anyone else. After retiring as a player Greaves went on to enjoy a successful career in broadcasting, most notably working alongside Ian St John on Saint and Greavsie. He died at his home in Danbury aged 81. 
• John Challis,was an English actor who had an extensive theatre and television career but is best known for portraying Terrance Aubrey “Boycie” Boyce in the long-running BBC Television sitcom Only Fools and Horses.Challis died of cancer aged 79

October

• Halyna Hutchins death shocked the world. On set in New Mexico working on the Western film Rust, the 42-year-old died after a gun held by actor and producer Alec Baldwin went off during a rehearsal. Ms Hutchins had been working as the director of photography on the film, a role she had previously held on the 2020 action film Archenemy. 
• James Michael Tyler was undoubtedly best known for playing Gunther in Friends throughout all 10 series of the hit comedy, famously having a crush on Jennifer Aniston’s character, Rachel Green. Tyler died aged 59 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.  
• Sir David Amess, who died after being stabbed at a constituency surgery. The Southend West MP Sir David, 69, had been an MP for 38 years, having first been elected to parliament in 1983. He never held a ministerial role during his long parliamentary career, he instead focused his efforts from the backbenches of the House of Commons. 
• Colin Powell,was the first African-American secretary of state. As secretary of state, Powell gave a speech before the United Nations regarding the rationale for the Iraq War, but he later admitted that the speech contained substantial inaccuracies. He was forced to resign after Bush was re-elected in 2004. Powell, who was being treated for multiple myeloma, died at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center of complications from COVID-19 at the age of 84. 

November

• Lionel Blair‘s entertainment career spanned seven decades, including appearances as an actor, tap dancer, presenter, and choreographer. He was best known as a team captain on the TV game show Give Us A Clue, appeared in the West End as the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, and more recently appeared on reality TV shows such as Celebrity Big Brother and The Real Marigold Hotel. He died at the age of 92. 
• Stephen Sondheim was the composer and lyricist behind some of the world’s best-known musicals, including the lyrics for West Side Story and Sweeney Todd, during a 60-year career. His death at the age of 91 was reported to have been sudden, just hours after celebrating Thanksgiving with his family. 
• Dean Stockwell best known for playing Admiral “Al” Calavicci in Quantum Leap, the hologram ally to Scott Bakula’s time-travelling physicist Sam Beckett. He also starred in Battlestar Galactica and films including Dune, Married To The Mob and Blue Velvet. He passed away peacefully at his home of natural causes at the age of 85. 
• Mei Jones was a Welsh actor and writer. He was best known for his part as Wali Thomas in the Welsh language sitcom C’mon Midffild! which he also co-wrote. Jones and fellow C’Mon Midffild! cast-member, Bryn Fôn were detained in 1990 along with two other people following the investigation into the campaign of holiday home fires set by the Welsh nationalist movement Meibion Glyndŵr. He died at the age of 68. 
• Mary Collinson was chosen as Playboy magazine’s Playmate of the Month in October 1970, together with her twin sister Madeleine Collinson. They were the first identical twin Playmate sisters. Both sisters has a brief film career with Hammer Films, notably Twins of Evil. She died from bronchopneumonia in Milan at the age of 69. 

December

• Jethro, real name Geoffrey Rowe rose to fame in the 1980s and was best known for his unique style and observational comedy, including pieces about living in Cornwall. A regular on TV shows hosted by Des O’Connor, his other TV credits included the 2001 Royal Variety Performance and Jim Davidson’s Generation Game. He died aged 72 after contracting COVID-19. 
• Michael Nesmith found fame with the 1960s pop group The Monkees, with hits including I’m A Believer, Daydream Believer and Last Train To Clarksville. The group also appeared in a self-titled television series, which first aired between 1966 and 1968. Nesmith died aged 78, just a few weeks after finishing a Monkees farewell tour with drummer Micky Dolenz, now the last surviving member of the group. 
• Carlos Marín was part of Il Divo, the classical crossover group conceived by Simon Cowell in 2003. Signed to his label Syco, they went on to release 10 studio albums and sell some 30 million records. He also performed in a number of musicals, including Les Miserables, Grease, and Beauty And The Beast. Marín contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalised in Manchester. He was subsequently put into a medically induced coma, and died at the age of 53. 
• Desmond Tutu was an Anti-apartheid veteran and an outspoken critic of the South Africa’s previous brutal system of oppression against the country’s Black majority. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his campaign of non-violent opposition to South Africa’s white minority rule. He died from cancer at the Oasis Frail Care Centre in Cape Town at the age of 90. 
• Anne Rice wrote the 1976 novel Interview With The Vampire, which was adapted into a film starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 1994. The book is also expected to be made into a TV series in 2022.The gothic novelist died due to complications from a stroke at the age of 80. 
• Sir Antony Sher a ‘giant of the stage’ and Olivier Award-winning actor starred in a number of Royal Shakespeare Company productions, including a career-defining performance as Richard III. Off-stage he had roles in films including Shakespeare In Love and Mrs Brown. He died from cancer at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon at the age of 72. 
• Sir Frank Williams was the founder of the Williams Formula One team. He was the team principal from its foundation in 1977 until 2020. During that period, the team won nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championships. Williams was admitted to hospital in Surrey in late November and died shortly after at the age of 79.  
• Betty White a ‘cultural icon’ who died days from 100th birthday. The Golden Girls star, whose career spanned eight decades, reportedly died at her home on New Year’s Eve. She made her TV debut singing on an experimental channel in Los Angeles in 1939. 

Lets start the last newsletter of the year by awarding some points! Well done to Laura, who was the only one to have listed Desmond Tutu, 60 points! Further solidifying her 1st place position with less than a week to go. Goes to show how important it is to get your Big Threes. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Carlos Marín, 53, German-born Spanish singer (Il Divo), COVID-19.  
• Sally Ann Howes, 91, English actress (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Brigadoon) and singer.  
• Gary Lee Sampson, 62, American spree killer.  
• Robin Le Mesurier, 68, British guitarist (The Wombles), cancer.  
• Joan Didion, 87, American writer (Run, River, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, The Year of Magical Thinking), complications from Parkinson’s disease. 
• Chris Dickerson, 82, American bodybuilder, Mr. Olympia (1982).  
• Ray Illingworth, 89, English cricketer (Yorkshire, Leicestershire, national team), oesophageal cancer.   
• Desmond Tutu, 90, South African Anglican cleric and civil rights activist, bishop of Johannesburg (1985–1986) and archbishop of Cape Town (1986–1996), Nobel Prize laureate (1984).  

In Other News

William Shatner was involved in a car crash in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with the Star Trek legend thought to be unharmed. The 90-year-old, who recently took part in a brief trip into space, was involved in a two-car collision in the Studio City area of LA, according to the Evil Monkeys. He was seen immediately after the incident, wearing a mask as he made a phone call and waited outside one of the cars. The front of one of the vehicles involved in the collision had crumpled, a silver Acura, with officers from Los Angeles Police Department later arriving at the scene. A black Mercedes SUV was also involved in the crash, with its bumper mangled following the incident. The actor was joined by a female companion, who was seen alongside Shatner as he made calls. The James T. Kirk actor recently made history as the oldest person to fly to space, when he launched in Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Shatner became emotional after landing back on solid earth, with the star saying: ‘Everyone in the world needs to do this. It was so moving to me. This experience has been unbelievable. In a way it’s indescribable,’ he revealed, stating that it was ‘the most profound experience I can imagine. I am so filled with emotion about what just happened, it’s extraordinary. Extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this. I hope I can maintain what I feel now. I don’t want to lose it. It’s so much larger than me. It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death.’ One can only  assume he was still slightly sidetracked when he smashed his car!   

Boxing ring announcer David Diamante has been left with critical injuries after a motorcycle crash on Wednesday. The 50-year-old, who announced some of the biggest fights of the last few years including Jake Paul’s professional debut, will need to “learn to walk again” after being involved in an accident in New York yesterday. He required five hours of surgery after being admitted to a New York hospital, with nine screws, multiple rods, and cadaver parts placed in his spine as a result of the crash. The ring announcer also suffered multiple broken ribs and damage to his right knee during the crash, which took place on Third Avenue in Brooklyn. Diamante has received hundreds of messages of support after the crash, including posts from Paul, Eddie Hearn and a number of top fighters. The Baltimore native is one of the most renowned ring announcers in the world, and has been called “The Voice of Boxing” by BBC Sport. “It’s going to be a tough road,” Diamante told the Evil Monkeys. “It’s a bad injury and getting better will take some time. This will be a struggle. I’ll have to learn to walk again, and right now there’s a risk of complications. But I have a positive attitude and will be back as soon as possible.” Diamante is famous for his catchphrase “the fight starts now”, and has been signed with DAZN and Matchroom Boxing since 2018. His most recent assignment was Saturday night’s heavyweight clash between Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora at the AO Arena in Manchester, which Parker won by unanimous decision. He has also covered Muay Thai and MMA events, as well as appearing in films and television projects such as 2015’s Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhal. The boxing announcer was in contact with fellow mic legend Michael Buffer after the surgery, who said that he is expected to make a return to the ring once he has recovered. “I spoke to him today and he’s very optimistic,” Buffer said in a response to a fan on Twitter. “David’s a fighter and has met big challenges in his life. This will be another one! The details will be his to disclose but I’m sure we’ll see him back in the ring again – strong, fit and recovered!” With his extra cadaver parts!!!   

Dutch cyclist Amy Pieters is in an induced coma following a fall  during a training ride with the national team in Alicante this week. Pieters, 30, lost consciousness after the collision and was taken to hospital by air ambulance. The Dutch national road race champion had surgery to relieve pressure on her brain caused by the fall. She remains in an induced coma, Dutch Cycling said, adding that an assessment would be possible “in a few days”. Pieters recently became the Madison world champion, alongside Kirsten Wild, for the third consecutive year and won stage two of the Women’s Tour in 2021. She also won the Dutch national road race and Nokere Koerse earlier this year. Dutch Cycling added: “At the moment, no further announcements can be made regarding the accident.”

On This Day

• 1862 – The largest mass-hanging in U.S. history took place in Mankato, Minnesota, where 38 Native Americans died.  
• 1898 – Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium.  
• 1941 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States, because one Christmas Day wasn’t enough. 
• 1963 – The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” are released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.   
• 1980 – Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, an incident called “Britain’s Roswell“.   
• 2003 – The 6.6 M_w  Bam earthquake shakes southeastern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving more than 26,000 dead and 30,000 injured.  
• 2004 – The 9.1–9.3 M_w  Indian Ocean earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). One of the largest observed tsunamis, it affected coastal and partially mainland areas of Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia; death toll is estimated at 227,898.  

Deaths

• 1963 – Gorgeous George, American wrestler (b. 1915).  
• 1972 – Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States (b. 1884). 
• 1977 – Howard Hawks, American director and screenwriter (b. 1896). 
• 2001 – Nigel Hawthorne, English actor (b. 1929). 
• 2006 – Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States (b. 1913).   
• 2012 – Gerry Anderson, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1929). 

Last Meals

As most of us were tucking into a massive meal yesterday, I thought we’d have a quick look at the phenomenon of the last meal. 

Most humans have a morbid curiosity about death. What does it feel like? When will it happen? Will I have a chance to devour my favourite KFC Meal before I go? Is a death-row meal simply the nice thing to do for a person about to die, or is it a waste of time and money for a convicted felon, about to receive their just desserts?

The food these killers want to eat is as varied as their crimes. If you’re a long time reader of this newsletter, you will know that sometimes what people eat for their last meals is sometimes insanely elaborate, requiring multiple courses, and other times they simply want a single olive.

For some reason, humanity has throughout history, frequently decided that no matter what horrible crime you’ve committed, if the state is going to kill you, it should at least give you a decent meal. The first known recording of this practice was in the Sumerian Code of Ur-Nammu back in 22nd century BCE. Roman gladiators were also treated to a large feast before they were inevitably slaughtered in the arena, and the Aztecs used to eat the people they sacrificed. No matter how you look at it, death and food have been paired across almost every culture for most of human history. 

Many of us have this idea in our heads that death row inmates can get pretty much whatever they want for their last meal. After all, even the most lavish meals probably couldn’t cost more than a couple hundred bucks, and it’s not like anybody will ever need to spend money on this person again. But actually, what criminals are allowed to have for their last meal varies pretty wildly from state to state, and can significantly affect what they ultimately eat.

Inmates are allowed to request whatever they want, but it’s up to the state to decide what they’ll actually get. For example, in Florida, the meal has to be locally purchased and can’t exceed $40. In Virginia, inmates are pretty much limited to whatever is on the monthly cycle. If you want hotdogs, you’d better hope it’s the first of the month. Most prison chefs do their best, but they can be heavily restricted by what they’re allowed to do and what they might have on hand. 

Back in 1989, Brian Price was sentenced to 15 years in a Texas prison after sexually assaulting his ex-wife. When he first showed up, the guards asked him what job he’d had on the outside. Being a musician and photographer, they obviously decided to make him a cook. After a couple years of that, Price was put in charge of cooking the meals for death-row inmates. This meant that for 11 years he cooked over 300 last meals for inmates about  to die.  

The crazy thing about Brian Price, the chef who prepared over 300 last meals, is that he himself was a prisoner. In fact, virtually all final meals are prepared by other inmates. It’s not like a prison will pay extra to hire a fancy chef to prepare a meal for convicted criminals sentenced to death, when they’ve got so many able-bodied inmates on hand.

Although there will always be exciting and lavish requests for last meals, most requests border on the juvenile. When looking through lists of last meals, the choices these criminals made can be depressingly basic. One meal was nothing but Coke and Cheez-Doodles, while another was merely a cheeseburger. For example, Timothy McVeigh ordered just two pints of ice cream, and Gary Heidnik ate nothing but two slices of cheese pizza and two cups of coffee.  

Generally speaking, inmates in America tend to be lower-class and poor. In particular, death row inmates skew towards the most impoverished when compared to other incarcerated criminals. Their socio-economic status can play out in the food they request for their final meals. Although Hannibal Lector might enjoy a fine Chianti with his meal, poorer inmates are less likely to even know what fine dining would look like.

This can mean lots of fast food request or meals that are heavy on bulk, even if they’re not particularly tasty. 

According to Brian Price, the press doesn’t always report exactly what meal an inmate gets. For example, once a newspaper reported a prisoner got 24 tacos and 12 enchiladas, but they actually only ate four tacos and two enchiladas. Now, that’s still plenty of food, but it probably doesn’t come off as exciting when an inmate eats a normal-portioned meal. 

After all, who wants to read the headline: “Inmate Eats Regular Last Meal”? Nobody.  

If you’re going to get the death penalty in America, you might as well go out like a true American, chomping down on fatty foods. It turns out that the most requested foods are fried chicken and cheeseburgers. It’s possible that prisoners are just looking for a taste that reminds them of simpler times. Something high in fat will certainly make them feel good.  

There is one curious thing that appears to happen with all last meals, that’s never been fully explained. After a last meal is prepared, it is covered and brought to the inmate. There isn’t much written on why the meal is put under a shroud, but it’s likely to help protect the privacy of the prisoner. Prisoners’ faces are also typically covered before an execution, both to protect onlookers from the nastiness of death, and to keep the person being killed a bit more calm. Maybe there is some sort of parallel there with the food as well.  

Anybody who has done something more than 300 times probably knows what they’re doing. That’s why the last-meals chef, Brian Price, decided to release a recipe cookbook detailing the more than 300 last meals he prepared during his tenure as a death-row chef. The book, Meals to Die For, is one of the many resources available when trying to find recipes and information about how to cook morbid, terrifying meals at home.

There are also countless books, websites, and even YouTube videos.

Texas is far and away the state most likely to sentence a convict to death. That’s extremely unfortunate for criminals with a complex palate, because in 2011, Texas abolished last meals entirely.

The problem was that Lawrence Brewer, a self-described white supremacist, ordered such a ridiculously lavish meal, that it called attention to what some lawmakers thought was “nonsense.” Brewer ordered a meal that included: “two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and sliced onions; a triple-patty bacon cheeseburger; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños; a bowl of fried okra with ketchup; one pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas; a meat-lover’s pizza; one pint of Blue Bell Ice Cream; a slab of peanut-butter fudge with crushed peanuts; and three root beers.” Shockingly, he did not eat a single bite of it. 

State Senator John Whitmire was so mad about the huge meal, he vowed to get rid of the entire idea altogether. Sadly for the Texans on Death Row, Whitmire was successful.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jared Leto (50), Kit Harington (35), Temuera Morrison (61), Sissy Spacek (72), Helena Christensen (53), Annie Lennox (67), Ricky Martin (50), Alison Sudol (37), Finn Wolfhard (19), Harry Shearer (78), Ralph Fiennes (59), Vanessa Paradis (49), Samuel L. Jackson (73), Kiefer Sutherland (55), Jane Fonda (84), Steven Yeun (38), Julie Delpy (52), Tom Payne (39), Jonah Hill (38), Jenny Agutter (69), Phil Donahue (86), Nicole de Boer (51), Lucy Pinder (38), 

Some strange deaths this week, including a very old Chinese lady! Sadly she couldn’t prove that she was born on 25th June 1886, but she did reside in Komuxerik, Kashgar Prefecture, which does have a very high percentage of people aged over 90. Apparently, she lived a very quiet and routine life. She was punctual with her meals and enjoyed sunbathing in her yard. Anyhow… Onto points! Neil correctly guessed that Jethro would succumb to the dreaded Covid, well done that man! 77 points!!! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Jimmy Rave, 39, American professional wrestler (NWA Wildside, TNA, ROH). 
• Jethro, 73, British comedian, COVID-19. 
• Ken Kragen, 85, American music manager and producer (“We Are the World“), founder of Hands Across America.  
• Marcel Meys, 112, French supercentenarian, nation’s oldest man (since October 2021).  
• Alimihan Seyiti, 135 (claimed), Chinese longevity claimant.  
• Wanda Young, 78, American singer (The Marvelettes).  
• John Morgan, 80, English drummer (The Wurzels), COVID-19.  
• Lindsay Tebbutt, Australian rock drummer and songwriter (The Choirboys), mesothelioma. 
• Drakeo the Ruler, 28, American rapper, stabbed.   
• Richard Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside, 88, Italian-born British architect (Centre Pompidou, Lloyd’s building, Millennium Dome).

In Other News

Sky News presenter Jacquie Baltrao, 56, has hit out at those who refuse the Covid vaccine in a furious Twitter rant. Jacquie, who has been battling breast cancer, was angered after a check-up with her oncologist. She directed her message to anti-vaxxers and criticised them for taking up beds in intensive care units when there are cancer patients that need them. She also claimed that cancer operations are being cancelled because there are no beds in ICU available. Writing to her 87,000 followers, the presenter said: “Had a lovely check-up and chat with my oncologist today. “For all you anti-vaxxers out there, at least 75 percent of patients with Covid in our local ICU have NOT been vaccinated. “Cancer ops ARE being cancelled because there are no ICU beds available should THOSE people need one.”  She later hit back at a Twitter user, named BB, who questioned the accuracy of her statement and whether she would also call out obese people and smokers “for taking up beds”.  Jacquie defiantly said: “No I am not. I am talking about Covid patients who are not vaccinated in ICU.” Another unnamed user said: “They contribute to the NHS just like everyone else. They have a right to care and to deny them that is morally wrong. The NHS should be fit for purpose.” The former Olympian replied: “They are getting care, but they are also denying other people from getting critical care. “The point is they didn’t need to be in ICU. Their Covid did not need to be that serious.” Multiple UK hospitals have confirmed that the majority of patients in critical care are unvaccinated. On Friday, Dr David Windsor, a consultant in intensive care at Gloucester Royal Hospital, declared on Twitter that “100 percent of the patients in our Critical Care Covid unit” were unvaccinated, as reported by Gloucestershire Live.   

Il Divo said today they were ‘hoping and praying’ for their member Carlos Marín after he was put in an induced coma in a Manchester hospital – forcing the group to call off its UK tour. The Spanish singer, 53, is under strict observation in the intensive care unit at the Manchester Royal Hospital. The star is stable but has had his ‘oxygen compromised’ and is being intubated, according to a Spanish newspaper. Il Divo made their first comment on Mr Marín’s condition this afternoon, tweeting: ‘Our dear friend and partner, Carlos, is in the hospital. We are hoping and praying for a speedy recovery.’ Two weeks ago, he shared a selfie video from beside a pool in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, to promote the final leg of Il Divo’s tour. He then performed in Southend, Bournemouth and then, a week ago, in Brighton – when he posted the Instagram video which showed him looking healthy while talking enthusiastically about the upcoming performance. Il Divo’s concert in Bath on December 6th was the last time he was seen on stage and he was admitted to hospital two days later. Gigs in Hull and Nottingham were called off then, on December 10th, Il Divo announced all subsequent shows had been postponed until 2022. Mr Marín married French singer-songwriter Geraldine Larrosa, stage name Innocence, in 2006, after they had been dating for 13 years. He split from the 44-year-old three years later, but they remain friends and have been seen attending events together. Il Divo or Mr Marín’s bandmates, Urs Buhler, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller, are yet  to comment on the nature of Mr Marín’s illness.

The step-grandson of Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has died in a car crash near his family’s farm in Somerset. Harry Brooksbank, 27, was killed after his black Ford Fiesta collided with a utility pole on the A361 in Pilton, Somerset, overnight last Thursday. Emergency services were called at around 2am on Friday but Mr Brooksbank was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured in the crash and investigations are ongoing, said Avon and Somerset Police. Tributes have since been paid to the ‘fun loving son and brother’, with his family saying: ‘We will miss him dreadfully.’ In a statement, his family said: ‘We are all heartbroken by the tragic loss of Harry, a wonderful warm, fun loving son and brother. We will miss him dreadfully. We would like to thank everyone for their love and support.’ The Riflemans Arms, a pub in Glastonbury, also paid tribute to one of their ‘favourite customers’. It wrote on Facebook: ‘Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Harry Brooksbank who can only be described as one of our favourite customers! The most genuine, nicest guy we’ve had the pleasure of knowing, always smiling and charming, we are truly devastated. No one will ever rock a tash as you did. Sending love to all that are hurting right now.’ Mr Brooksbank’s step-grandfather, Mr Eavis, has five children and 19 grandchildren. The festival organiser’s second wife Jean, who died from cancer in 1999, is Mr Brooksbank’s grandmother. Glastonbury was first held in 1970 after Mr Eavis inherited Worthy Farm from his father in 1954. In 2019, the festival was headlined by Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure. It has since been cancelled for two years in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic. Police said Mr Brooksbank’s family is being supported by specially-trained officers. A force spokesperson said: ‘Sadly the man was pronounced dead at the scene. ‘His family are aware and are being supported by specially-trained officers. Our thoughts are with them in their loss.’

On This Day

• 1924 – German serial killer Fritz Haarmann is sentenced to death for a series of murders.
• 1932 – BBC World Service begins broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service.
• 1945 – John Amery, British Fascist, is executed at the age of 33 by the British Government for treason.
• 1956 – Irish-born physician John Bodkin Adams is arrested in connection with the suspicious deaths of more than 160 patients. Eventually he is convicted only of minor charges.
• 1967 – Harold Holt, the Prime Minister of Australia, is officially presumed dead.
• 1998 – President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives, becoming the second President of the United States to be impeached.

Deaths

• 1848 – Emily Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1818)
• 1851 – Joseph Mallord William Turner, English painter (b. 1775)
• 1999 – Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh soldier and actor (b. 1914)
• 2015 – Jimmy Hill, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1928)

The Mortuary Molester 

Hospital electrician David Fuller, who sexually abused the bodies of at least 102 women and girls, has been sentenced to life in jail. 

Fuller, 67, also killed and then sexually assaulted two young women, Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce, in two separate attacks in 1987. 

Fuller was given two whole life sentences for the two murders and twelve years for his abuse of women and girls in hospital mortuaries. In her sentencing remarks, judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described Fuller as a “vulture, picking your victims from among the dead”. She continued: “You will spend every day of the rest of your life in prison.” 

Fuller was caught 33 years after the 1987 murders following a DNA breakthrough. Police investigations at his home revealed Fuller had recorded himself abusing bodies in hospital mortuaries for more than a decade. 

Following the sentencing, chief superintendent Paul Fotheringham revealed that police were now looking into other unsolved missing persons cases, rapes and murders in the South East of England. He said that there was “every chance” that Fuller had committed other crimes. 

It was revealed in court on Wednesday that Fuller had abused the corpses of at least 102 women – including a nine-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a woman aged 100. 

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC told Maidstone Crown Court: “David Fuller systematically and repeatedly sexually abused the bodies of dead women and girls.” He said that though the police know the names of 82 of the victims, a further 20 may never be identified. 

The mother of Fuller’s youngest victim said the abuse of her nine-year-old daughter’s body would “haunt me forever and the rest of my life”. She added: “My pain – the guilt that I feel because I left her in that hospital, the one that’s meant to be a safe place. “I have nothing, no way of closure, how will I make it up to her? How will I stand by her side now, and how will I nurse that little body that has been ruined and disrespected by that vile man?”  

The mother of Azra Kemal, whose body was assaulted in a mortuary by David Fuller, has said that, although justice has been served for the families of the two women who were murdered, the sentences were too lenient for Fuller’s mortuary crimes. Speaking outside the court on Wednesday, Nevres Kemal called for a statutory public inquiry. 

David Fuller received three months each for the three assaults on her daughter’s body. Speaking about the length of those sentences, Ms Kemal said: “I do not feel that is fair and just. It’s not acceptable, she was worth more than that.” She said that people receive more for possession of class A drugs. Referring to the judge, Ms Kemal said: “She delivered what she could but the law has to change. This is from my heart. “Justice for the families of the mortuary crimes has not been served.”  

In her sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb QC said the killings of the two women in 1987 were “premeditated” and “carefully planned and executed”. She described David Fuller as a “prowler”, and murder victim Wendy Knell as “successful, happy and independent”. Fellow murder victim Caroline Pierce, the judge said, was “a lively young woman” when she was killed. She said that the murders were sexually motivated, adding: “Once you had killed these women you spent time with them to satisfy your sexual deviancy.” Speaking to Fuller, the judge said: “Your violations go against everything right and humane, they are incomprehensible.” She described the offences in the mortuaries as involving “an astonishing breach of trust and invasion of privacy, that was repeated so much that it became habitual”. 

Fuller plead guilty to murdering Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, days into this trial after previously admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility. He also plead guilty to 51 other offences, including 44 charges relating to 78 victims in mortuaries. The charges also including possession of an extreme pornographic image and taking indecent images of children. 

Chief Superintendent Paul Fotheringham spoke outside the court after the sentencing. He said: “We are delighted with the sentencing … to get two whole life sentences when there are so little of those in the country shows the seriousness of the crimes.” He called Fuller a “monster” and said “hundreds if not thousands” of people had been affected by his crimes. He described Fuller as “one of the worst serial offenders that we’ve ever seen in this country”, adding: “He will never see the light of day again, which me and my team are absolutely delighted with.” 

He said there were up to 10 mortuary victims that the police will never be able to identify. He also said that the police were investigating whether David Fuller committed other crimes before he murdered two women in 1987. Mr Fotheringham said the police force were looking at unsolved missing girls cases, rapes and murders across the southeast of England, adding: “I think there is every chance that he has committed other offences.”    

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jake Gyllenhaal (41), Jennifer Beals (58), Kristy Swanson (52), Alyssa Milano (49), Richard Hammond (52), Steven Spielberg (75), Brad Pitt (58), Ray Liotta (67), Katie Holmes (43), Casper Van Dien (53), Christina Aguilera (41), Billie Eilish (20), Sia (46), Robson Green (57), Steve Austin (57), Keith Richards (78), Katheryn Winnick (44), Milla Jovovich (46), Sarah Paulson (47), Bill Pullman (68), Ernie Hudson (76), Giovanni Ribisi (47), Laurie Holden (52), Eugene Levy (75), Bernard Hill (77), Krysten Ritter (40), Miranda Otto (54), Billy Gibbons (72), Christopher Biggins (73), Charlie Cox (39), Helen Slater (58), Don Johnson (72), Garrett Wang (53), Vanessa Hudgens (33), Natascha McElhone (52), Miranda Hart (49), Ted Raimi (56), Vicki Michelle (71), Jamie Foxx (54), Steve Buscemi (64), Dick Van Dyke (96), Taylor Swift (32), Emma Corrin (26), and Robert Lindsay (72).

Let’s begin by awarding some points!!! With the passing of Bob Dole, Julia and Dave get 52  points each, well done! Things are quite tight at the top of the league table, one death could upset the whole lot. Let me remind you that you are not allowed to murder anyone to win the game. 

I’ve already received a list for 2022, so if any of you would like to send in yours, I’m ready! Either email your list to mail@thedeadpool.rip or fill in the 2022 Webform. If for some reason you have forgotten the same rules we have been following for the last thirty years, you can find them here. Mention it to your weird friends and followers, the more the merrier. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Martha De Laurentiis, 67, American film producer (Breakdown, Hannibal, U-571), cancer.  
• Bob Dole, 98, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1961–1969) and Senate (1969–1996), lung cancer.  
• John Miles, 72, British singer-songwriter and musician (“Music“). 
• Jacques Tits, 91, Belgian-born French mathematician (Tits alternative, Tits group, Tits metric). 
• Chris Achilleos, 74, Cypriot-born British illustrator.  
• Robbie Shakespeare, 68, Jamaican bassist (Sly and Robbie, Black Uhuru) and record producer, complications from kidney surgery. 
• Ralph Tavares, 79, American singer (Tavares).  
• Steve Bronski, 61, Scottish keyboardist (Bronski Beat).  
• Slim 400, 33, American rapper, shot. 
• Al Unser, 82, American Hall of Fame racing driver, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, IndyCar champion (1983, 1985), liver cancer.  
• Michael Nesmith, 78, American musician (The Monkees) and songwriter. 
• Anne Rice, 80, American author (The Vampire Chronicles), complications from a stroke.  

In Other News 

A coffin-shaped capsule that allows occupants to kill themselves has passed legal review in Switzerland, according to its creators. The Sarco machine can be operated from the inside –conceivably just by blinking if the person suffers from locked-in syndrome – and works by reducing the oxygen level in the pod to below a critical level. The process takes less than a minute and death occurs through hypoxia and hypocapnia, which is intended to allow a person to die relatively peacefully and painlessly. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and roughly 1,300 people used the services of euthanasia organisations Dignitas and Exit last year. Both firms use ingestible liquid barbiturate drug to induce a deep coma within two to five minutes, followed by death. The suicide pod is the creation of Dr Philip Nitschke, dubbed ‘Dr Death’, who serves as the director of the non-profit organisation Exit International. The Sarco – short for sarcophagus – is designed to be towed to a location of the users’ preference, such as an idyllic outdoor setting, and then the biodegradable capsule can detach from the base in order to serve as a coffin. Dr Nitschke has faced opposition from opponents of euthanasia, in part due to the method used. “Gas may never be an acceptable method for assisted suicide in Europe due to the negative connotations of the Holocaust, some have even said that it’s just a glorified gas chamber.” It has also drawn criticism due to its futuristic design, which some say glamorises suicide, as well as a corresponding virtual reality app that allows people to “experience their own virtual death”. This VR experience was displayed in Westerkerk church in Amsterdam at the 2018 Funeral Expo, prompting worries from the church’s board. “Westerkerk will never support people by offering equipment as promoted by Dr Nitschke and we seriously wonder whether this contributes to a thorough and careful discussion around the issue,” Jeroen Kramer, president of the Westerkerk church board, said at the time. “We will not and cannot support any suggestion of using such equipment.” Only two Sarco prototypes currently exist, but Exit International is 3D printing a third machine that it hopes to be ready for operation in Switzerland next year. Dr Nitschke told local media last week that “there are no legal issues at all” and that discussions are ongoing with various groups in Switzerland with a view to provide the capsule for assisted suicide. “Barring any unforeseen difficulties, we hope to be ready to make Sarco available for use in Switzerland next year,” he said. “It’s been a very expensive  project so far but we think we’re pretty close to implementation now.”  

Former GB News Chairman Andrew Neil shared an update on his beloved dog, Molly, who he says is “seriously ill”. The renowned journalist promised his 1.1 million followers that he would keep them updated on Molly’s condition as fans sent in messages of support. Andrew, 72, broke his “bad news” to his followers, who seemed heartbroken to hear that Molly was ill. The news legend shared a sweet picture of Molly curled up on a chair with her eyes closed and her head resting on a cuddly, owl-shaped cushion. He wrote: “Bad news. Ms Molly the Dog, the one and only star of BBC 1’s much missed This Week is seriously ill. “She is, of course, getting the best possible care and we hope she’ll pull through. “We will keep her many fans posted,” he confirmed. The star then retweeted the picture with the caption: “We take her back to the vet tomorrow. “Tonight she’s decided to forego her several comfortable beds and lie on the floor. “So my wife has placed a pillow on the floor and is now lying beside her. “Whatever Molly’s problems she will not lack for love,” an emotional Andrew concluded. Andrew and his wife were then inundated with support during their difficult time. Andrew announced he was stepping down as Chairman of GB News on 13th September 2021 despite masterminding the launch of the channel and has since referred to  his time there as “the single biggest mistake” of his career.  

Mark Wright has had a huge 12cm tumour removed from his armpit following a terrifying cancer scare. The former TOWIE star, 34, took to Instagram to share his story in the hope that speaking out could help save lives. Mark opened up after undergoing surgery to remove the lump, which was clearly visible on his body before the procedure. And he’s still waiting on results to find out whether or not the lump was cancerous. Sharing a topless picture of himself that showed the lump in his armpit, he penned: “Ok, it’s been a tough call whether or not to speak about this. “One part of me wants to keep something like this private and the other part is thinking, if I can help/potentially save 1 person, well…. this is the right thing to do. So here goes. I discovered a lump in my breast/armpit area. Not very big, but enough to cause concern and to be cautious enough to get it checked. I saw a doctor who passed it on as “a fatty lump that doesn’t need any treatment” so I just left it. After some time the lump grew and began to bother me. I am someone that when it comes to life in general, I leave no stone unturned. When it involves health, this idiom quadruples.” Mark, who went under the knife and also shared a graphic image of the lump, added: “I saw another specialist who happens to be a breast consultant for a second opinion. He was certain after seeing an ultrasound scan that it was a Lipoma (a benign soft tissue tumour) however with it being rather large, he had a tiny  bit of concern that it has/could turn in to a Sarcoma (a cancerous malignant tumour) However he was not 100% either way so to be more sure I had an MRI. From the result of the MRI, still this consultant did not want to rule out the worst because of the speed and the size of the growth. At this stage I moved on to a Sarcoma specialist. This specialist saw the scans around 10 days ago and today I was in theatre having this little git removed.” Mark continued: “His fast and incredible turn around was due to the fact he did not want to leave it any longer and wanted it out to prevent the rare risk of a Lipoma turning into a sarcoma overtime. He also could not 100% confirm by the MRI that this was definitely a benign tumour and not something more sinister. The tumour will be sent off for further testing just to be 110% sure but this top doctor is certain from his incredible experience that we have done the job and there is nothing sinister to worry about. So I’m all good! Moral of the story: If you notice anything that doesn’t look or feel quite right. Don’t leave it. Nothing in life is more important than your health and well-being. Get checked, check yourself and make sure you take good care of yourself.”

On This Day

• 1866 – Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers.
• 1988 – The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.
• Turns out this day in history has next to nothing to show for 2000 years of humanity.

Deaths

• 1921 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt, American astronomer and academic (b. 1868).
• 1939 – Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1883).
• 2006 – Peter Boyle, American actor (b. 1935).
• 2007 – Ike Turner, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1931).
• 2019 – Danny Aiello, American actor (b. 1933).
• 2020 – John le Carré, English author (b. 1931).

The Real Black Widow

For more than a century, Mary Ann Cotton was the most prolific serial killer in UK history, until Harold Shipman surpassed her victim count in 2000. She was described as beautiful, charming and ultimately deadly. Gaining her the nickname Black Widow. 

It has been suggested that Cotton killed at least 21 people, many of these were her own children or husbands. Records show that she had at least 13 children during her life, only 2 of these outlived her. Similar to Mary Ann Bateman, a serial killer 100 years before, her weapon of choice was arsenic poisoning. Her main motive for the murders was to collect the insurance money that each death provided her with.

Cotton was born into a mining community, in Sunderland. Her father Michael Robson was a collier sinker. She had two siblings, but only her younger brother survived. When Cotton was eight the family moved to County Durham. Like many families of the time, they travelled where the work was. She was a good student and a friendly girl. Her Sunday school superintendent would describe her as: a most exemplary and regular attender, a girl of innocent disposition and average intelligence.

In 1842, Cotton’s father was killed, he fell down a 150ft mine shaft. Times were very harsh and his body was delivered to the family in a sack, with the news that they’d need to vacate the mining property they were living in. This situation did not last long as Cotton’s mother went on to remarry in 1843, to another miner. At sixteen, Cotton left her home to become the nursemaid to the manager of Murton Colliery, she cared for his children. When the children grew up she returned to her step-fathers home for a short period, whilst she trained to be a dressmaker. It would not be long before she would start working her way through her husbands. 

Cotton married her first husband, William Mowbray, when she was 20. Like her father, he was a colliery labourer. During her time with Mowbray she would go on to mother many children, estimations suggested nine, of these children only one survived. No records exist, even though registration was compulsory at the time. It is hard to establish what they died of or the exact numbers. In Jan 1865, Mowbray died of what was noted as intestinal problems. Cotton collected £35 on his death, which was the equivalent of six months wages.

Cotton went on to start working in a local infirmary after Mowbray’s death. It was during this time that she met husband number two. George Ward was an engineer and patient at the time. Entranced by his nurse, he married her in August 1865. His health was poor at the time and was about to become worse. Cotton, who did not want a child living with them, sent her daughter to live with her mother. It is unclear why she chose this course of action, rather than killing her. Ward would die in October 1866 of intestinal problems, leaving Cotton to collect the insurance money.

The next man on Cotton’s radar was James Robinson who was a Shipwright. He hired Cotton as a housekeeper shortly after his wife died. When his son died one month later of gastric fever, he turned to his housekeeper for comfort. Whilst helping Robinson deal with his grief, Cotton fell pregnant.

At this point in her life, Cotton received notification that her mother was ill, so she went to look after her. Her mother made good progress and started recovering, only to fall ill of stomach pains. She died nine days after Cotton arrived at the age of 54. Cotton returned to Robinson, with her daughter who had been staying with her mother. Shortly after returning to Robinson her daughter became ill with a stomach complaint and died. Two of Robinson’s children suffered the same fate. Cotton went on to collect the insurance money.

After these events, and with a child on the way, Robinson married Cotton, and the happy couple went on to have two children. Only one of these children would survive. Cotton was eager after these unfortunate events to get her husband insured. It is this insistence that raised the suspicion of Robinson. Whilst checking his bank, he found that Cotton has run up a huge debt in his name and had pawned many of the families valuables. He threw her out, keeping custody of their son.

After this, Cotton was forced to live on the streets. When her friend Margaret Cotton introduced her to her brother, a pitman and recent widower, Cotton was only too happy to help. Margaret had been acting as a surrogate mother to her brother’s children. When Margaret died in March 1870 from stomach problems, Cotton was there to comfort Fredrick Cotton. Shortly after this, she found out that she was pregnant, with her twelfth child.

The marriage to Cotton was not to be a faithful one. Cotton heard that a previous lover Joseph Nattrass was living close by and rekindled her romance with him. In December the same year, Fredrick died from gastric fever and Cotton collected still more insurance money. After the death of Fredrick, both his sons also died of gastric fever and then Cotton’s son would suffer the same fate. The last person to die of gastric problems was Nattrass.

After these latest deaths, Cotton went to work for Thomas Riley a parish official. She complained to him about her son being a problem and asked if she could have him committed to the workhouse. When Riley informed her this would only be possible if she accompanied him she replied: I won’t be troubled long. He’ll go like the rest of the Cottons.

Five days later, Charles Edward died and Riley went straight to the police. The boy was examined and showed clear evidence of arsenic poisoning. The decision was then made to exhume both Nattrass and some of Cotton’s children. They all showed signs of arsenic poisoning. 

The papers latched onto the story of the Black Widow. During their research, they discovered how much Cotton moved around the country. They also noted the number of people she had lost to stomach fever. Dr William Byers Kilburn, who was Charles’ doctor, had kept samples from his patient. When these were tested it showed arsenic poisoning.

Cotton stood trial on 5th March 1873, the trial having to be delayed so that she could give birth to her final child. After deliberating for 90 minutes, the jury found her guilty on all charges. Out of the 13 children she was believed to have had, only two went on to survive. The son that Robinson claimed custody of and the daughter, Margaret Edith, born in jail.

Cotton was hanged in Durham jail on 24th March 1873, in a strange twist she didn’t die of a broken neck, but rather strangulation. The executioner had rigged the rope too short, so a broken neck did not occur. Whether this was on purpose or not was never established.

In the 1990s Durham jail was modernised and Cotton’s remains were removed amongst others. Her bones were found with a pair of her shoes, they were later cremated and laid to rest in an undisclosed location.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jennifer Connelly (51), Mädchen Amick (51), Mayim Bialik (46), Bill Nighy (72), Sarah Douglas (69), Kenneth Cranham (77), Dionne Warwick (81), Ben Browder (59), Kenneth Branagh (61), Judi Dench (87), John Malkovich (68), Michael Dorn (69), Beau Bridges (80), Donny Osmond (64), Kim Basinger (68), Teri Hatcher (57), Dominic Monaghan (45), Nicki Minaj (39), David Harewood (56), Nicholas Hoult (32), Jennifer Carpenter (42), C. Thomas Howell (55), Jeffrey Wright (56), Ellen Burstyn (89), Kristofer Hivju (43), Tom Hulce (68), Colin Salmon (59), Noel Clarke (46), and Nick Park (63).