UK UK - Muriel McKay, 55, ‘kidnapped from her Wimbledon home’ 29 December 1969

[Dotta]

The judge is unimpressed by family.


Mr Justice Richard Smith described the behaviour of some of Muriel’s relatives as ‘appalling’ and ‘possibly unlawful’ after the family initially used deception to access the premises.

Mr Smith said there had been ‘threats, deception, dishonesty, lies, bullying and harassment’ towards Madeleine Higson and other leaseholders.

‘There was no justification for it,’ he said.

Judge denies family of Muriel McKay injunction to search garden

Mr Justice Richard Smith described the behaviour of some of Muriel's relatives as 'appalling' and 'possibly unlawful' after the family initially used deception to access the premises.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I honestly don't understand what the problem is???
Why can't the family check this garden??
Where is this poor woman buried?

This is horrific

 

[Ssschu]

I honestly don't understand what the problem is???
Why can't the family check this garden??
Where is this poor woman buried?

This is horrific

I don't get it either! These people are desperate for answers and they're getting zero compassion or understanding from the homeowners or the judge. They have been acting out of sheer desperation since they were told they couldn't follow a solid tip. It's heartless, IMO.

 

[RichardKimble]

Don't forget the family have already had one search done because of meeting Muriels killer.

Muriel McKay: Family comes face-to-face with grandmother's killer

Muriel McKay's family has travelled to Trinidad to meet convicted murderer Nizamodeen Hosein.

www.bbc.co.uk

Police to dig again for Muriel McKay after killer agreed to reveal where he buried her 54 years ago

Muriel McKay's family was able to get killer Nizam Hosein to reveal where he buried the body after travelling to Trinidad to see him. Police will now carry out a new search but it could be the last chance to find her remains.

news.sky.com

 

[rvlvr]

Exactly, that tip came straight from the horse’s mouth! And it still turned up nothing. There are all sorts of factors at play here - the strength of the tip, the financial cost, whether it’s in the public interest, etc. I understand their desperation but it does seem like the family have behaved incredibly poorly here.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Exactly, that tip came straight from the horse’s mouth! And it still turned up nothing. There are all sorts of factors at play here - the strength of the tip, the financial cost, whether it’s in the public interest, etc. I understand their desperation but it does seem like the family have behaved incredibly poorly here.

I agree. I hadn't known of the campaign of harassment members of the family had carried out against the leaseholders of the properties involved.

Having seen the aerial shot of the gardens behind those properties, it's not entirely clear which is the specific property referred to but it appears that the area is entirely enclosed by surrounding buildings. Any excavation might well have to dig the entire garden areas right to the walls of the surrounding buildings. I can't work out from the photos how old those buildings are but depending on their age their foundations may not be deep enough to withstand a major excavation without danger to the other properties.

I suspect the family are caught up in an obsession and have, as the judge said, lost perspective as to what is reasonable and realistic.

I'm also very sceptical indeed that two men who had access to a considerable area of farmland would have brought a body back to the East End to bury it in a small enclosed area instead of burying it in the corner of a remote field.

 

[Grouse]

I agree. I hadn't known of the campaign of harassment members of the family had carried out against the leaseholders of the properties involved.

Having seen the aerial shot of the gardens behind those properties, it's not entirely clear which is the specific property referred to but it appears that the area is entirely enclosed by surrounding buildings. Any excavation might well have to dig the entire garden areas right to the walls of the surrounding buildings. I can't work out from the photos how old those buildings are but depending on their age their foundations may not be deep enough to withstand a major excavation without danger to the other properties.

I suspect the family are caught up in an obsession and have, as the judge said, lost perspective as to what is reasonable and realistic.

I'm also very sceptical indeed that two men who had access to a considerable area of farmland would have brought a body back to the East End to bury it in a small enclosed area instead of burying it in the corner of a remote field.

It was said the there would be no excavation required for the scan.

The apparent behaviour on behalf of the family won't have helped the case though.

"Ms Higson said in July this year, a man who identified himself as “Ricardo” asked to enter the garden to make a “sentimental montage” for his grandfather, who, it was claimed, used to live in the house.

“Ricardo” then contacted Ms Higson again, claiming that he was buying a nearby property and needed further access to the garden to conduct a radar survey to assess “drainage issues”.

Met Police ‘don’t want to know’ about Muriel McKay case, says daughter

 

[MelmothTheLost]

It was said the there would be no excavation required for the scan.

No, I'm aware that a scan with ground penetrating radar or similar does not require any disturbance of the ground. However, in a long established property in a built-up area, it's highly unlikely that there won't be a history of ground disturbance within the ground attached to the property, eg a buried Anderson shelter (WWII domestic shelter), buried pets, buried rubble left over from old building or renovation work or whatever. So features will almost inevitably be found which then have to be investigated.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

No, I'm aware that a scan with ground penetrating radar or similar does not require any disturbance of the ground. However, in a long established property in a built-up area, it's highly unlikely that there won't be a history of ground disturbance within the ground attached to the property, eg a buried Anderson shelter (WWII domestic shelter), buried pets, buried rubble left over from old building or renovation work or whatever. So features will almost inevitably be found which then have to be investigated.

I managed to identify the properties concerned.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Both are jointly occupied by a branch of BetFred (a chain of betting shops). They and most of the surrounding properties appear to be of Victorian origin, although the taller building to one side, occupied by various businesses including a casino, looks to be inter-war in date.

As I suspected, the gardens appear to be entirely enclosed with no access except through the BetFred shops so I really cannot imagine how the family expect the police to get equipment in and (in due course) spoil and other detritus out without effectively closing the betting shops for weeks, if not months.

It's worth bearing in mind that in the days before detailed planning permission was required for adding to or altering existing buildings, work was often carried out with fingers crossed and a hope that existing buildings would partly support whatever changes or additions were being made.

It's also worth having a gander at the properties and their immediate surroundings on the 3D feature on Google to see just how incredibly difficult the logistics would be.

 

[Grouse]

No, I'm aware that a scan with ground penetrating radar or similar does not require any disturbance of the ground. However, in a long established property in a built-up area, it's highly unlikely that there won't be a history of ground disturbance within the ground attached to the property, eg a buried Anderson shelter (WWII domestic shelter), buried pets, buried rubble left over from old building or renovation work or whatever. So features will almost inevitably be found which then have to be investigated.

You may be right. It is a murder victim though, and the link with the perps to the property sounds credible. I think the alleged attempts to gain access through deceptive means has weakened the case, but it still doesn't sit right with me and I really feel for the family.

 

[ctaylor]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/20/bone-found-in-hunt-for-muriel-mckays-body/

A bone has been found in the search for the body of murdered Muriel McKay.

Ms McKay, the wife of Australian newspaper executive Alick McKay, was kidnapped in Britain for a £1m ransom in 1969.

Two brothers, Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein, were convicted of Mrs McKay’s murder and kidnapping 55 years ago, though her remains were never found.

....

 

[Bluebear15]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/20/bone-found-in-hunt-for-muriel-mckays-body/

....

The headline of that article states that the bone doesn't belong to a human, so it's not her.

 

[Grouse]

The headline of that article states that the bone doesn't belong to a human, so it's not her.

I think an earlier version of the article didn't include that information. https://archive.is/y43a9

I had thought permission to scan the property had been denied yet the article states "On March 5, a scan was carried out in the garden of a house in Bethnal Green, east London, on behalf of the family." ??

 

[ctaylor]

I think an earlier version of the article didn't include that information. https://archive.is/y43a9

I had thought permission to scan the property had been denied yet the article states "On March 5, a scan was carried out in the garden of a house in Bethnal Green, east London, on behalf of the family." ??

Thank you, yes that article was updated. Sorry for any confusion

 

[dotr]

Muriel McKay family hopeful after digging up east London garden

Muriel McKay's family search a garden in east London for the first time, as they look for her body.

www.bbc.com

March 20, 2026

A search was carried out in the back of two properties in Bethnal Green Road in east London

'Last year, police spent several days digging up the grounds of the farm in a failed attempt to locate her remains.
Then a new lead came forward and said Arthur Hosein worked with her father at the tailor's shop he ran on Bethnal Green Road.
She claimed her father believed that a former Polish World War Two soldier, who he employed, brought McKay's body to the yard.
In November, at the High Court, Mr Justice Richard Smith refused permission for a survey to be conducted.'

'"We were only allowed to dig in a certain area, an area found from a scan. We've only done 20% of it," he explained.
"We're forever hopeful. We need to continue the search, and hopefully we'll be allowed back next week to carry on with the investigation we're doing - to continue looking in the spot."