THE ANNIVERSARY next week of her daughter's untimely death will find Jean MacColl at the Brixton Academy, south London, watching The Pogues belt out the Christmas classic Fairytale of New York.
“And when I hear those words: ‘You scumbag, you maggot’, I’ll think of that man,” she said.
Nine years after the death of acclaimed singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, whose distinctive voice is immortalised on this famous song, her 86-year-old mother’s determination to uncover “the truth” is undiminished. Kirsty was just 41 and at the peak of her career when she was mown down by a speedboat as she and her sons, Jamie (15) and Louis (13), scuba-dived off Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula on December 18th, 2000. But this week, having finally exhausted all legal avenues to bring to justice the man she believes is responsible for the death, Guillermo Gonzalez Nova, one of Mexico’s wealthiest businessmen, MacColl has abandoned the Justice for Kirsty campaign.
The campaign raised funds through “the most wonderful fans” to pay for the costly expenses of Jean’s legal battle. “But it felt dishonest to go on, to keep asking for money, when we don’t feel we’ve got a chance,” she said.
In the summer she visited Mexico with Louis – his first visit since the traumatic day he and his terrified brother found themselves “swimming in Mummy’s blood”.
They were informed the case was to be closed. Demetrio Guerra, the family’s lawyer, said he expected this to be confirmed in a final resolution from Mexico City in the new year. – (Guardian service)