Ian Brady biography

There, Police found sadistic gadgets and pornography, including photographs of Lesley Ann, bound and gagged in Hindley's bedroom. A tape recording was also found, on which the little girl could be heard crying and begging for her life, as well as the voices of Brady and Hindley. Her mother, Ann Downey, was forced to identify the voice on the tape as that of her daughter

Even with the mounting evidence against them, Brady and Hindley denied murdering Lesley Ann,

trying again to implicate David Smith. They claimed that Lesley Ann had left their home unharmed, and that Smith must have murdered her later.

Trial and Aftermath

The evidence linking Brady and Hindley with John Kilbride's murder was not as strong, but proved sufficient to charge them, with the result that they were charged with the murders of Edward Evans, Lesley Ann Downey, and John Kilbride. Despite exhaustive searches, the bodies of the other two victims could not be found, and no charges were brought.

Hindley and Brady were brought to trial at Chester Assizes on April 27, 1966, where they pleaded "not guilty" to all charges. Media interest was intense, and the pair's failure to show any remorse served to make public revulsion even greater.

On May 6, 1966, Brady was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Ann Downey, John Kilbride, and Edward Evans, while Hindley was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans, and also for harboring Brady, in the knowledge that he had killed John Kilbride. They were both jailed for life, with a minimum recommended sentence of 30 years for what are today known as the 'Moors Murders'.

Ian Brady went on a hunger strike at the high security Ashworth Psychiatric Hospital in October 1999, demanding the legal right to starve himself to death, rather than serving the remainder of his life in prison. This demand was refused by the High Court in March 2000, which upheld the hospital's right to force-feed him.

In August 2001, Brady was front-page news once again, when it was revealed that he stood to earn 12,000 pounds for The Gates of Janus a book he had written about serial killers. Though it made no mention of Brady's crimes, its publication was condemned by many, including the families of Brady's victims. Brady has also, apparently, written his autobiography, which is held by his lawyers, pending publication after his death.

In February 2006, Brady sent the mother of victim Keith Bennett a letter. In the letter he complained of his treatment at the high security hospital saying he was being kept alive by force-feeding for "political purposes."

Brady also claimed that he could take police to within 20 yards of where Keith Bennett is buried. Staff at the hospital believe Brady was able to send the letter via a third party. As of 2011, Brady was the longest serving prisoner in England and Wales.

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