Crackpot clairvoyant Michael Schneider claims he’s found the location of Madeleine McCann’s body; he remarkably did so with Google Maps, his fingers and the help of God (according to the ‘Mirror’)
When the British government is in a mess – the current case being whether the 21st June ‘unlockdown’ will actually occur due to the ever-increasing prevalence of the Indian variant of coronavirus – they encourage the reeling out of another senseless story about ‘disappeared’ Madeleine McCann.
Sharing suggestions from a clairvoyant – yes, you read it correct, a crackpot clairvoyant – named Michael Schneider, the paper reported that the BKA, “Germany’s equivalent of the FBI,” are “appropriately incorporating” his belief that ‘Missing Maddie’ is “buried in a forest just six miles where she vanished… into their work.”
Schneider argues he “does not give out such information lightly,” yet then laughably explained: “I look at a photo of the missing person and ask myself upwards towards God whether this living being is alive or dead.”
Continuing, this clearly off-his-merry-rocker 50-year-old fruitcake then added:
“After that I take an atlas or a road map and look at large areas superficially. Afterwards at Google Maps and Earth. Then I let my fingers and my eyes circle over these maps until they stop on a spot and mark it.”
Elsewhere, the MailOnline shared their thoughts on the development and declared:
“He isn’t the first clairvoyant to claim supernatural powers have helped him pinpoint Madeleine’s location. Nine years ago, detectives studied 100 logs from psychics that were previously ignored and termed ‘a waste of resources.’”
“And in 2017, the family were hit by a cruel hoax after Susan Kelly demanded payment from the family as she claimed to know ‘the truth’ about Madeleine’s whereabouts.”
Responding to Schneider’s plainly nothing but a publicity prank prattling, the frankly utterly useless German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters witlessly warbled:
“Several psychics have responded to our call for help in the past year and offered assistance. In some cases, we also received concrete tips. We do not ignore them, but we are cautious.”
On Twitter, members of the public called out this claptrap for what it truly is. One user named Eli remarked: “There’s a sucker born every minute” whilst another concluded: “If you wish to know where Madeleine McCann is… ask Kate and Gerry.”
Going further and echoing our previous sentiments about the total misallocation of £13.5 million to a case that plainly isn’t going to get solved whilst neglecting to support the families of other missing people, one David Osland shared an image of another child who went missing and quite rightly asked: “Any reason this poor boy didn’t get the same priority as Madeleine McCann?”
Pictured top: Michael Schneider (left) and Gerry McCann with an image of his ‘missing’ daughter, Madeleine McCann – a child supposedly ‘taken’ on the 3rd May 2007 after she and her siblings were left alone in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.
Living it Large – Gerry MccCann enjoying a round of golf (left); Kate McCann at Downing Street, London hobnobbing with Missing People CEO Martin Houghton-Brown, the Duchess of Gloucester and the then Home Secretary Theresa May on 23rd May 2012 (right).The ‘MailOnline’ shared that the location former TV reporter turned clairvoyant Michael Schneider believes where Madeleine McCann’s body is buried is just six miles from where she ‘vanished’ in Praia da Luz, Portugal in May 2007. They added: “[He] has told police officers the ‘exact co-ordinates’ of the spot he believes the youngster’s body can be found in a fresh blow to the McCann family… His clairvoyance technique includes looking at photographs of a missing person and asking God ‘whether this living being is alive or dead,’ before turning to atlases and Google Maps until they ‘stop on a spot.’”
Twitter reactions to Michael Schneider’s batshit bonkers claims…
More money goes down the drain in the Madeleine McCann case on top of the £13.5 million of British taxpayer wonga chucked away on absolutely no results
This morning – continuing the pointless pattern of the Mirror and MailOnline to “note nothing new” in the case of ‘disappeared’ Madeleine McCann we highlighted last week – The Sun shared an “exclusive” about the investigation that frankly wasn’t worthy of a single column inch.
After beginning with the bashfully bold headline “Madeleine McCann’s parents to find out this year if they’ve won legal battle against ex-cop” Goncalo Amaral – whom currently is owed a “six-figure sum” believed to be circa £750,000 by Gerry and Kate McCann after he beat them in court in February 2017 – the paper then concluded without an actual “when” and the non-news that “the judges will now give a verdict by the end of the year.”
Of this diatribe of drivel, one could say: “Thanks for that,” but more realistically anyone rational would ask of The Sun instead: “Couldn’t you have asked your contributor to instead go looking for a missing person where there is a genuine chance of that person actually being found?”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Mirror – a red-top reliable for prattling on about “non-news” about a situation that could have been avoided perhaps if two doctors hadn’t left their toddlers unattended so they could live it up in a restaurant with their mates – shared that the prosecution team that named Christian Brueckner (AKA ‘Christian B’) exactly one year ago just as the British government began their ‘coronavirus distraction technique,’ have actually not spoken to Gerry and Kate McCann once during the ensuing period.
Asked if they had genuinely made any progress in the case, prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters “angrily hit back at critics” and illustrated the weakness of his work in declaring: “I don’t care who believes what… We are missing important important information. We want no stone unturned. Whether there will be an indictment in the end, I cannot foresee at the moment.”
The Mirror concluded: “Brueckner, serving seven years for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia, has not been interviewed,” whilst elsewhere the Daily Record added Wolters pathetically offered: “Our appeal for witnesses still stands.” We respond: “Where on earth do you think these people are given the millions already offered in rewards that have never been claimed?”
Clearly, on top of the £13.5 million of British taxpayer money wasted on this case already, that’s another chunk of change down the drain whilst other families of missing people shamefully get little to no help at all. Enough is enough; it is time to close down the investigation into ‘missing’ Madeleine McCann.
— Madeleine Case Tweets🌐 (@McCannCaseTweet) March 8, 2018
Elsewhere on social media this weekend, the matter of Kate McCann being photographed with bruises on her wrists in the days after her daughter disappeared was again discussed. This tweet from 2018 was once again referenced.Christian Brueckner (AKA ‘Christian B’, pictured left with his ex-girlfriend Naskcije Miftari) was brought to public attention just as the British government began to suffer “very bad news days” at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic last year. The narrative of him being the evil, paedophile suited Boris Johnson’s government a treat as it helped shift the headlines – for a period – away from their appalling handling of initial lockdowns. This weekend, equally, Johnson has managed to do something similar by marrying his latest ‘baby mama’ Carrie Symonds and in doing so, cynics quite correctly argue that he has used the ‘distraction technique’ to get his bad week courtesy of Dominic Cummings off the front pages. Unsurprisingly, social media manipulated imagery from the wedding by using images such as those pictured (centre and right).
In December 2017, when £11 million of British taxpayers’ money had been spent towards the search for ‘missing’ Madeleine McCann, 86% of viewers of ITV1’s ‘Loose Women’ said the public purse should cease to fund the investigation. Now, in May 2021, with that sum at £13.5 million (aside from the millions in private money also), it is time to allocate resources to the search for missing people who actually can be found, we would suggest.
Will wine chucking Boris Johnson baby mama Carrie Symonds go the same way as the ‘Carrie’ of creepy crooner Sir Cliff Richard’s 1980s song?
Described on his ‘official’ YouTube channel in the comments section by some as “magical” and “one of his greatest hits” in spite of being frankly weird, a seriously strange video of Cliff Richard singing ‘Carrie’ on The Kenny Everett Video Show is something that could sum up what could soon happen to Carrie Symonds next.
Focused on the lyrics “Carrie doesn’t live here anymore” as the contemptible Christian crackpot ‘Cliffy’ croons in the mist outside a café-bar, the continuation with “Carrie used to live on the second floor… Sorry that she left no forwarding address… That was known to me, Carrie” could soon apply to Boris Johnson’s latest baby mama.
Quite deservedly under fire as to failing to explain who really funded payment of the vast £200,000 bill caused by Peter Jones loathing Miss Symonds’ demands for a quite unnecessary makeover of their perfectly habitable Downing Street flat, Boris Johnson – who still faces an ongoing inquiry also into who paid for the December 2019 Mustique holiday nearly 16 months later also – is on the ropes. Like Teflon, he may bat these investigations away, but with his “psychopath” nemesis – as some have branded him – Cummings having “gone rogue,” this time things are beginning to stick.
Of the imaginary ‘Carrie’ in the 1980 song – written by ‘Devil Woman’ songwriter Terry Britten – all-round oddity Sir Cliff told the Mail on Sunday in November 2008:
“It’s a mysterious song because you never really know what it’s about. A guy turns up in the neighborhood asking where Carrie is. The very last line goes: ‘Carrie doesn’t live, doesn’t live…’ You’re left thinking: ‘Is she dead? Has she been murdered?’”
Now, with public outrage turning up the heat in ‘Costly Carrie’s’ Westminster lair, will this ‘Modern Day Lady Macbeth’ puppet mistress ‘survive’ her “date with her own kind of fate”? Some might think that, but we couldn’t possibly comment.
Creepy Cliff & Costly Carrie 2021 – The March 1980 screening of Cliff Richard singing ‘Carrie’ on The Kenny Everett Video Show. Of the song, one fan, Tim Roxborough, cringeworthily declared: “Late 70s/early 80s songs like ‘Dreamin,’ ‘Carrie’ and ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ aren’t just hits, nor are they just catchy pop tunes. Vocally, Cliff is singing much higher and with far greater emotion and elasticity than what he did in the 50s and 60s. If you’re prejudiced, pretend ‘Carrie’ isn’t a Cliff Richard song and its hook, its groove, its paranoid lyrics and its clean production make it a worthy music cousin of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine.’” We’d argue to the contrary: It’s frankly just creepy.Creepy Cliff & Costly Carrie – Sir Cliff Richard and Carrie Symonds share a penchant for hooch and holidays. Equally, they both share a liking for making things up and being the centre of attention. Examples of such behaviour includes Miss Symonds’ temper tantrum over being called ‘Princess Nut Nut’ by Dominic Cummings and Sir Cliff’s “young man, go f**k yourself” rant after supposedly being “duped” into describing his own wine as “tainted and insipid” by Gordon Ramsay in June 2006.Creepy Cliff & Costly Carrie – The similarities between Boris Johnson’s latest baby mama and the creepy Christian crooner continue in the design department. Whilst Miss Symonds likes curious colour concoctions that wouldn’t look out of place in the home of Edina Monsoon in the comedy ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ (left), Sir Cliff favours décor decisions that would most definitely appeal to dictators and despots such as Saddam Hussein and Nicolae Ceaușescu (right).
Creepy Cliff & Costly Carrie – Both Sir Cliff Richard and Carrie Symonds take the attitude of the late, great Ian Richardson in the original (and better) television adaptation of Michael Dobbs’ ‘House of Cards’ and respond to any criticism with his infamous: “You might very well think that, but I couldn’t possibly comment.” Perhaps, if Tory sleaze does indeed engulf his administration, puppet mistress Miss Symonds and her hapless hubby-to-be may find themselves forced into taking a very ‘Long Summer Holiday’ soon too.
As he faces death, murder victim Stuart Lubbock’s father hires top lawyer to seek a second inquest into what went on in Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool in 2001
Nearly twenty years ago on 31st March 2001, ‘entertainer’ Michael Barrymore invited a gaggle of people to his home for an after-party. He knew some of them well, others less so and when one of them, 31-year-old Stuart Lubbock, was found dead in the environs of his swimming pool, a wall of silence disgracefully went up.
One man, the victim’s father Terry Lubbock, has run a campaign to get justice and though Barrymore and his cronies have repeatedly contradicted one another and nobody has ever been convicted, this determined individual has never given up.
Now suffering with terminal prostate cancer and living in a care home in Harlow, Essex Terry Lubbock yesterday told the Mirror that he hopes to “win permission to apply to the High Court for a new inquest” and stated:
“I’ve only a few months left. I want justice for my son before I go. We’ve got a big-gun barrister working on this. We are getting close.”
“The first inquest was either a mess-up or a cover-up. Our own team have been working on the case and have dug up new evidence. We are going for a second inquest. It will reveal everything.”
“Whoever did this to my son has got away with it for 20 years, but not for much longer. I can’t die without knowing there will be a second inquest because then I feel sure the truth will come out.”
Responding, the QC mentioned, Alan Payne, remarked:
“Terry is a man of great dignity and principle. I was grateful for the chance to help identify steps that might be taken to try to get greater clarity as to events surrounding his son’s death.”
Last month, we reported on a member of Essex Police giving a statement about the case. At the time, Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings remarked:
“I believe that [Stuart] was raped and murdered that night. One or more of those party-goers are responsible for that serious sexual assault on Stuart Lubbock.”
“We remain committed to this investigation and continue to appeal for information leading to arrest and conviction in relation to the rape and murder of Stuart Lubbock.”
“Nine people went to the party at Michael Barrymore’s house, but only one of them – Stuart – ended up being violently sexually assaulted and murdered.”
“We know not everyone at that party was responsible for what happened, but someone was. We also know that not everyone at that party may know what happened, but someone does.”
“We want the people who do have information to come forward and talk to us – it is never too late to do the right thing and give the Lubbock family the answers and justice they have waited so long to have.”
To learn of developments in this case, follow the Justice4Stuart Official page on Twitter at @Justice4Stuart.
Pictured top: Disgraced ‘entertainer’ Michael Barrymore (left) and Terry Lubbock with a picture of his murdered son, Stuart.
Second Inquest for Stuart Lubbock 2021 – The scene of the crime: Michael Barrymore’s then home, 4 Beaumont Park Drive, Roydon, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5HB.Second Inquest for Stuart Lubbock 2021 – Barrister Alan Payne has been brought in to use “new evidence” to secure a second inquest into the murder of Stuart Lubbock at Michael Barrymore’s then home on 31st March 2001.
Justice for Stuart Lubbock – The people who need to tell the truth about what happened at Michael Barrymore’s home on 31st March 2001
Michael Parker (AKA Michael Barrymore) – Allegedly loudly said: “I need a f**k” in a taxi as he left the Millennium Nightclub to return to his home, the scene of the death of Stuart Lubbock.
Barrymore later lied to a coroner’s court about facilitating drug taking at his house on the night in question also. He claimed to have been first to have discovered the body of Stuart Lubbock at 5.45am, called his manager Mike Brown before the ambulance arrived and then left the premises. He admits that was “wrong” and also bizarrely told Piers Morgan that in spite of “knowing others were hiding secrets about what happened to Mr. Lubbock” that “I am not going to say their names. I just hope they are brave enough to come forward one day.”
Mike Brown – Agent of Michael Barrymore. Called to the property before emergency services arrived.
Kelly Campbell – Had met Michael Barrymore for the first time on the night of the incident. Claimed not to have been aware of what happened.
James Futters (sometimes spelt ‘Futers’) – A paper boy turned chef. Described as “a local from the village” and a “friend and neighbour of Barrymore.” Claimed to have been the first to discover the body with Simon Shaw and stated: “[It was not] Michael Barrymore and not Jonathan Kenney [who found him].” Later, of him the Evening Standard reported: “Barrymore offered James Futters a white powder on his finger saying: ‘Do you want to try this?’ Mr Futters told the inquest that he leaned forward and licked the powder.”
Claire Jones – Then aged 17. Had met Michael Barrymore for the first time on the night of the incident. Claimed not to have been aware of what happened but told the police that she “saw Barrymore rummaging through drawers and changing his clothes before police arrived. When he left the house, he had a ‘bundle of material’ under his arm,” according to the Evening Standard. “She added: ‘Jonathan (Kenney) was rushing through the bungalow before the ambulance and police arrived. I got the impression he was hiding something.’”
Jonathan Kenney – Estate agent, drag queen and Michael Barrymore’s then lover; later arrested on suspicion of murder but never charged; known for having a “record of violence.” Claimed to have been the first to have discovered the body.
Justin Merritt – A dustman from Essex. Later arrested on suspicion of murder but never charged. Later paid £30,000 by the News of the World for an interview in which he stated Barrymore had “rubbed cocaine on Stuart Lubbock’s lips shortly before he died.”
Kylie Merritt – Sister of Justin Merritt. She also alleged Barrymore “rubbed cocaine on Stuart Lubbock’s lips shortly before he died” (curiously in the wake of her brother selling his account of the night).
Simon Shaw – Described as “a local from the village.” Michael Barrymore supposedly “ran off” to Mr. Shaw’s house to “buy himself thinking time [for two hours] before he was questioned by the police [at 7.49am].”
In addition, others, who’ve never been identified could also have possibly been present. If they were, they should come forward or be named by those listed above.
Matthew Steeples joins those condemning the BBC for their balls-up in describing the now deceased murdering monster Phil Spector as “talented but flawed”
This morning on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Emma Barnett quite rightly highlighted that the broadcaster she works for “got it wrong” yesterday in their initial reporting of the death of the convicted murderer Phil Spector.
Running a story minutes after this vile abuser and crazed killer’s demise was announced, the BBC lauded him by astoundingly declaring: “Talented but flawed producer Phil Spector dies aged 81.” Unsurprisingly, the corporation then found itself very deservedly slammed on social media for their crass and insensitive insult to this deranged lunatic’s innocent victims.
I, myself, later shared their tweet, but added a mocking caption that pointedly applied ‘Auntie’s’ thoughts to other equally vile deceased individuals. It read:
“Talented but flawed” gravedigger Peter Sutcliffe.
“Talented but flawed” TV manipulator Sir Jimmy Savile.
This BBC balls-up should now be reversed: Yesterday didn’t mark the death of someone who ought to be remembered as “talented but flawed.” It marked the death of the monstrous murderer of an innocent 40-year-old actress, model and charity volunteer with her whole life ahead of her, Lana Clarkson.
Pictured top: Megalomaniac murderer Harvey Phillip Spector (26th December 1939 – 16th January 2021) with his innocent victim, Lana Clarkson (5th April 1962 – 3rd February 2003). She is the one who deserves to be remembered fondly, not him.
Follow Matthew Steeples on Twitter at @M_Steeples.
"Talented but flawed" gravedigger Peter Sutcliffe. "Talented but flawed" TV manipulator Sir Jimmy Savile. "Talented but flawed" PR peddler Max Clifford. https://t.co/2YtP258Stc
The BBC got it entirely wrong in lauding the violent, psychological abuser and murderer Phil Spector as “talented but flawed” yesterday in their reporting of his death. They should be ashamed of this insult to slayed Lana Clarkson and his other victims – who also included his own children (who were “forced to perform sex acts with his girlfriend for his pleasure”) and various partners.Forgotten Victims, Remembered Killers – Media coverage of the 2007 murder Meredith Kercher in Italy focused more on the conviction and subsequent annulment of Amanda Knox that the 21-year-old victim. Equally, media coverage of the 2010 murder of Anni Dewani in South Africa focused on her husband’s possible involvement in her death more than her as 28-year-old victim.Another example of the BBC making an utter balls-up of reporting came in October 2020 when the corporation was subjected to a “backlash” after running a “tone-deaf” trailer for a four-part documentary film about the 2013 murder of Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa by her arrogant psycho Paralympic sprinter boyfriend Oscar Pistorius. Many criticised the BBC due to the fact that neither the trailer for the programme nor a tweet about it mentioned the innocent, slayed 29-year-old victim.In May 2017, the BBC was attacked for its “inappropriate and ghoulish” coverage of the death from lung cancer of the unrepentant convicted serial killer Ian Brady. Of reporting specifically on Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme, one Twitter user declared: “The BBC has made a serious editorial misjudgement.” Another slammed them for asking if this monster was “mad” or just “bad.” Twisted Brady (pictured here with his equally evil lover and co-conspirator Myra Hindley) never revealed where he buried his last child victim, a 12-year-old schoolboy named Keith Barnett, and this innocent boy’s mother was thus never able to give her son a dignified burial before she then died herself
Larysa Switlyk’s attempt to go global with a new website sharing imagery of her slaying bears and zebras is proof that this woman is nothing but an international menace and monster
Zebra and black bear slaying barbarian Larysa Switlyk has a new website titled ‘Unleashed Global Adventures.’ On it she fails to spell “copyright” correctly (she misspells it “copywrite”), but that’s by far the best thing about this promotion of what she shamelessly states to be: “It’s a way of life pursuit network.”
On the site, sheep slaughtering sex-toy-up-the-bum-shover Switlyk proudly boasts of her “vast hunting resume” and her ability to help those who pay her take their “trophies home.” This prized cow sickly subsequently refers to what she curiously calls a “travel hunt” as “an investment” and even offers her “content creation services” and “social media management” of such as if she was selling children’s toys.
“Ladies hunting retreats” also feature on ‘Unleashed Global Adventures’ website and in a 2:53-minute video promoting such, Switlyk appears alongside a number of fellow female fleabags. The monsters are seen high fiving after slaughtering animals for nothing but depraved amusement and plainly have no respect for their innocent targets.
Elsewhere, our Change.org petition to get the “blue ticked bitch” Larysa Switlyk and her foul images banned from Instagram is continuing to attract much interest. It recently featured amongst their “most popular” petitions and many signing have left comments also.
Please join the 13,500 people who’ve already signed the petition by clicking here and please share it as widely as possible on social media. It’s continued growth will no doubt delight Switlyk no end and in the end, Instagram will have to listen.
Pictured top: Larysa Switlyk’s new ‘Unleashed Global Adventures’ website even includes an image of this vile vixen with a zebra she shot.
Bear Slaying Barbarian Tries Going Global – Sick Switlyk features extensively on the website posing “proudly” with her victims. Her delight in blood and dead bears is frankly indicative that she is nothing but a monster.Bear Slaying Barbarian Tries Going Global – On her Instagram page @larysaunleased this twisted twerp’s latest posts feature her with weapons that are meant for war zones. That she thinks these appropriate for killing deer and sheep is proof that she is mentally unhinged.
As Donald Trump looks set to pardon Michael Flynn, will he also somehow help Ghislaine Maxwell get out of jail also?
Whilst we reported in October that Ghislaine Maxwell’s family had been emailing all and sundry crackpot-likely claiming she is “looking forward to her day in court” as it will “give [her] the opportunity she requires to clear her name,” many have been left wondering if she will actually ever get there.
Since her incarceration awaiting trial, conspiracy theorists have repeatedly wildly suggested she could already be dead and on Monday it was revealed that she is currently in quarantine after a member of staff at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is held, tested positive for coronavirus.
Elsewhere, this morning, the Guardian revealed that Donald Trump likely will, in the manner of what Bill Clinton did for his tax evading donor Marc Rich in 2001, pardon numerous dodgy sorts including his disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Though Ghislaine Maxwell is yet to stand trial, it is plain that Trump’s “good wishes” to the mucky madam in August contained a secret missive to stop her singing like a canary and now, goodness knows what could come next.
Could Donald Trump pull out a get out of jail free card for Ghislaine Maxwell? It might at this point seem legally impossible, but stranger bloody things have sadly already happened.
Get Out Ghislaine – As America says ‘ByeDon’ to Donald Trump, many are hoping that the 45th President and his trash bag family also end up incarcerated. Perhaps Ivanka could end up sharing a cell with Ghislaine Maxwell.
Tempestuous television presenter Phillip Schofield bizarrely claims to have been murdered in a past life because of a debt
Not content with making a total plonker of himself launching an own brand boxed wine range condemned as “only fit for the bin” and “no more palatable than fizzy Ribena,” Phillip Schofield’s back at it with some more crackpottery.
Featured in the Mirror this morning in the context of his newly released self-indulgent ‘memoir’ Life’s What You Make It, Schofield claimed he “has a rule about never borrowing money” as he believes he and an (imaginary) ‘family’ he’s plainly invented were murdered in a “past life” over a debt.
Of this plain attempt to get publicity for just about anything, wack job Schofield – whom was also the subject of another story in the same paper yesterday where he pathetically whined about how he “feared he was dying after weight loss” (in spite of the fact that there was actually nothing physically wrong with him) – announced:
“I opened the door to silence and felt horror wash over me. Three steps in, and I saw them – two murdered bodies on the floor.”
“I knew they were my wife and small child. Horror turned to fury. I knew why they were dead. I owed money to two brothers who worked at the end of the street in a sawmill.”
“The brother [then] found me, dragged me outside, punched me to the ground and, as my head hit the mud, he repeatedly stamped on it until I was dead!”
Going further the notoriously temperamental ITV presenter added that he is “reminded of the terrifying vision of his former death every time he goes into a church” and stated he is “not willing to take the risk again, meaning he flatly refuses to borrow any money.”
What’s coming next for Schofe? A trip to the funny farm?
‘The Steeple Times’ selects five undesirable homes currently for sale that many would say would remain best avoided; they’ve all been in the news and they’re all connected to infamous names
Destined most certainly not to feature in Penny Churchill’s Downton Abbey-esque country house porn Country Life column or as an Evening Standard chi-chi ‘Homes & Property’ ‘House of the Week,’ we have selected five undesirable homes currently for sale.
In spite of the fact that one has a link to a recently deceased paedophile, two have been the scene of murders, one is supposedly haunted and the final was the setting for a bizarre nine year sleep, their prices seem somewhat crazy – but maybe some people will just love the idea of living with notoriety. Whether any of these undesirable homes sell for their asking prices, however, seems as likely as the case of Jack the Ripper ever being solved.
Paedo Palace – 9 East 71st Street, Lenox Hill, New York, NY 10021, USA
For sale for £69 million ($88 million, €74 million or درهم121 million) through Modlin Group.
Known as the ‘Herbert Straus House’ in polite circles, but now forever more likely to be remembered as ‘Jeffrey Epstein’s Paedo Mansion,’ this 28,000 square foot, 7-floor, 40 room mansion was home to the deceased bestie of Prince Andrew from 1996 until his incarceration and suicide in 2019.
Few details are shared on the listing other than to declare it of “gargantuan size and opulence” and “the largest single-family home in New York City.” Though the late Alberto Pinto’s design work at the property is lauded, there’s no mention of what Ghislaine Maxwell got up to there or the bizarre birthday parties with Christopher Mason.
Originally called ‘Oakleigh,’ this “striking Gothic Victorian villa” subsequently became known as ‘The House of Horror’ but has now been renamed ‘Devisdale House’ in an attempt to relieve it of a position in the ranks of undesirable homes.
In March 2005, Christopher Lumsden, a partner in the international law firm Pinsent Masons, killed his former Sotheby’s auctioneer wife Alison in the house in a “frenzied domestic attack in the master bedroom” according to The Sun. He stabbed her 30 times after she announced she was leaving him for another man and was amazingly jailed for just five years “after he was found guilty of manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility, claiming he had a depressive illness.”
‘Oakleigh’ subsequently “fell into rack and ruin” in spite of reports suggesting Lumsden may have inherited his wife’s fortune, but more recently it was purchased by a property developer. They have added an especially ghastly underground swimming pool, sauna, cinema room and triple garage and now pompous selling agents Jackson-Stops pretentiously laud the property as “incredible,” “striking” and “meticulously remodelled.” Christopher Lumsden, meanwhile, was released from prison after serving just two years of his jail sentence.
A Killer Castle – Pencoed Castle, Pencoed Lane, Llanmartin, Newport, Gwent, Wales, NP18 2ED, UK
For sale with a guide price of £950,000 ($1.2 million, €1 million or درهم1.7 million) by auction on 17th September 2020 through Allsop.
Pencoed Castle dates to the 13th century and in the time since one can imagine all sorts has gone on there. Most recently, in 2016, a then 56-year-old businessman Peter Morgan strangled his girlfriend of three years, a 25-year-old personal escort named Georgina Symonds, in a bungalow in the castle grounds. The married multi-millionaire was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 25 years in prison and with that the estate found itself joining the ranks of undesirable homes.
Wales Online report that “it is not known if Mr Morgan still owns the property,” but for less than a million pounds, a buyer could get themselves not only the castle (which could be turned into 12 dwellings and offices also), but also a former farmhouse, two bungalows and 64.8 acres of land. Previous plans to turn the site into a Disneyland-style theme park called Legend Court came to nothing and of the property a local cryptically remarked: “This place’s recent history is very dark.”
Axing a Ghost – Maplecroft, 306 French Street, Fall River, Massachusetts, MA 02720, USA
For sale for £696,000 ($890,000, €751,000 or درهم1.2 million) through Century 21 The Seyboth Team.
Sold last for £469,000 in February 2018 and £386,000 in November 2014, Maplecroft is described by realtor Suzanne St. John as “a Queen Anne Victorian Mansion,” but many would consider it fitting instead of a listing on a roster of undesirable homes. It was built in 1887, extends to 3,935 square foot and includes 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
The allegedly haunted residence, which stands on a plot of 0.31 acres, is notable as the post-prison home of one Lizzie Borden (1860 – 1927) – a woman who was the main suspect in the 1892 axe murders of her father and step-mother. Accused, tried and acquitted, Miss Borden inherited a fortune, bought Maplecroft and when she died of pneumonia her wake was held in the parlour.
The current owner also owns the house where the murders were committed and runs it as a ‘murder house B&B.’ He had intended to convert Maplecroft into something similar, but COVID-19 (and perhaps the spirit of Lizzie Borden) got in the way.
A Nine Year Sleep – Sleepy Cottage, 1 School Lane, Turville, Henley-On-Thames, Buckinghamshire, RG9 6QX, UK
For sale for £750,000 ($960,000, €810,000 or درهم1.3 million) through Savills.
Strictly speaking, our final choice in our roster of undesirable homes, has had only a gruesome past in a fictional sense given that it sits in a village used in Midsomer Murders. Nobody in their right minds – if such a place did really exist – would want to reside in any of Midsomer’s locations given the risk of ending up brown bread would be so high, but the innocent sounding name of this cottage makes it worthy of mention.
Used also in the perfectly harmless series Goodnight Uncle Tom and the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom Sleepy Cottage is also noteworthy as it was most famously home to ‘The Sleeping Girl of Turville.’
Of this enigma, selling agents Savills remark:
“Ellen Sadler, who lived in the cottage with her family when in 1871, aged eleven she purportedly fell into a deep sleep from which she could not be roused for nine years. The case attracted international attention from newspapers, medical professionals and the public. She became a tourist attraction for the village, and her family made considerable money from visitors’ donations.”
“Rumours exist that among the elder Turville residents that Royalty even took an interest in her. The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, visited her and laid his hands on her which people in those days believed would cure the sick.”
“As the years went on and with no sign of Ellen waking, speculation grew that her illness was caused by her mother, an issue that was never resolved. In late 1880, soon after her mother’s death, Ellen awoke. She later married and had at least five children.”
Undesirable Homes Currently For Sale – Pictured top: Jeffrey Epstein’s initials were prominently displayed at the entrance to 9 East 71st Street whilst the entrance hallway beyond aimed to impress with its classical grandeur. Goodness knows how many unfortunates passed through this space on their way on their way to be abused by the late Mr Epstein and his mucky madam Ghislaine Maxwell.
The latest developments in the Madeleine McCann case have been spun to a media willing to believe utterly preposterous stories suggests Matthew Steeples
First, at the height of the coronavirus lockdown, German criminal Christian Brueckner was plastered all over the media as the ‘new’ likely person responsible for the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Though this may indeed be possible (just as Shergar the racehorse may still be dashing round a track somewhere), the development was anything but ‘new’ as we reported in June. Equally, in the time since, no actual concrete evidence has been produced and thus this ‘solution’ has been anything but proven.
Now, this weekend, the MailOnline have reported that “a new witness has come forward to claim that Madeleine McCann is alive and living with a German family on the Algarve.” They do not name the Portuguese woman, but report she saw the by-now teenager in a supermarket just 40 miles from where she disappeared speaking German.
Further muddying waters, they claim the witness cannot actually remember when this incident occurred with the unnamed woman stating: “It was three to four years ago, I can’t be sure exactly,” whilst adding: “When I looked at her eyes, I was sure about what I saw.”
Firstly, one has to ask why not only has this woman not been actually been named and secondly, why she did not mention this earlier? As has so often occurred in this case, this supposed ‘development’ seems far-fetched, yet it has ludicrously attracted significant amounts of media coverage.
Given the combined £2.5 million reward that was originally offered by amongst others Sir Richard Branson and Sir Philip Green, social media users reacted to this unsubstantiated ‘news’ with scepticism with one Twitter user, Andrea Maria Preston, stating:
“Someone else who hasn’t tried to claim the reward. All these people who have sightings/concrete evidence etc. yet don’t want the money.”
She has a point and what also should be remembered is this: If Madeleine McCann were alive and wandering around shops in Dale Winton’s Supermarket Sweep style fashion, wouldn’t someone else have noticed?
Many questions about what happened on the evening of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann remain. Some that have been highlighted by the press and discussed online include:
Why did Kate McCann refuse to answer 48 questions put to her by the Portuguese police?
Why were certain records of phone calls on the evening of the disappearance “whoosh-clunked” from the memories of the phones of Mr and Mrs McCann and the ‘Tapas 7’?
Why did a British sniffer dog sense the smell of a corpse in a cupboard in the apartment from which Madeleine McCann disappeared?
Why did a sniffer dog also supposedly sense the smell of a corpse in a vehicle hired by the couple a month after the disappearance of their daughter?
Why did Mr and Mrs McCann go jogging and play tennis in the days after their daughter’s disappearance?
Was it acceptable for Mr and Mrs McCann’s mortgage to be paid by the fund established to search for their missing daughter?
Madeleine McCann disappeared from an unlocked holiday apartment, 5a Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, Praia da Luz, Portugal on 3rd May 2007. She was aged just three years old and in spite of British authorities spending over £11.75 million on the search for her to date (with further sums from various other sources), nobody has been able to solve the case.If Madeleine McCann were alive and wandering around shops in Dale Winton’s ‘Supermarket Sweep’ style fashion, wouldn’t someone else have noticed? The suggestion of the unnamed Portuguese woman – whom could not even remember what year she ‘witnessed’ such occur in – does indeed seem utterly preposterous. One is left asking: “Why do the media continually fall for this kind of nonsense?”
