by MacRua Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:56 am
'Her Family Deserve Better'
Monday December 18, 2006
Sky News
by Enda Brady
Full URL<blockquote>
Tracking down the legendary Irish hellraiser Shane MacGowan can be quite an achievement.
But getting an interview with The Pogues frontman was a straightforward task - once he found out what I wanted to speak to him about, writes Sky News reporter Enda Brady.
Six years on from the death of Kirsty MacColl, while holidaying in Mexico, her mother Jean is joining forces with Shane to call on the country's new president to get to the truth.
"Kirsty made that song work and she was doing so well in her career, writing her own stuff, producing, and all that has been taken from her family," MacGowan told me at a pub in north London.
"That song", as Shane called it, is Fairytale of New York, often voted the greatest Christmas record of all-time.
MacColl teamed up with The Pogues in 1987, but their friendship continued long after the artistic collaboration had ended.
In recent years the band has re-formed and toured, mainly around Christmas.
At the end of each gig, after Fairytale of New York has brought the evening to a poignant close, fans are reminded that they can contribute to the Justice for Kirsty Campaign on their way out.
And their contributions are priceless when it comes to the work still being carried out by Kirsty's mother Jean.
The partially-sighted octogenarian works tirelessly from her London home, updating her website, raising funds, talking to lawyers and now writing a biography of her daughter's short, but brilliant life.
Six years on from losing Kirsty in the most horrific circumstances imaginable, Jean MacColl is determined to keep fighting for justice.
She said: "Kirsty's two boys are young men now and they deserve the truth, they deserve justice for their mother. I'm in my 80s now but I won't stop. It's the least I can do for my daughter."
Jean knows that Kirsty was killed as a result of a collision with a powerboat, but wants the Mexican authorities to do more to reveal just who was at the wheel when the impact happened.
Right now, the official records state that Juan Jose Sen Yam, an employee of high-profile Mexican businessman Guillermo Gonzalez Nova, was given a three-year jail term after he testified he was driving the boat.
That punishment, however, was later commuted when he paid an undisclosed fine (£61 according to Jean).
Kirsty's family believe the full facts about what happened that day off Cozumel - in an area reserved for swimmers and where boats are banned - have yet to emerge and they have pledged to keep battling until they get the correct information.
"Every ounce of energy I have goes into getting justice for Kirsty and some day it will come," adds her mother.
Shane MacGowan is equally confident. "We're not going away, she was a great girl and her family deserve better than what they've been given," he said.
Perhaps 2007 will finally be the year that justice for Kirsty is achieved.
:: You can find out more about the campaign by visiting
http://www.justiceforkirsty.org</blockquote>
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[size=150]'Her Family Deserve Better'[/size]
[i]Monday December 18, 2006
Sky News
by Enda Brady[/i]
[url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13557384,00.html]Full URL[/url]<blockquote>
Tracking down the legendary Irish hellraiser Shane MacGowan can be quite an achievement.
But getting an interview with The Pogues frontman was a straightforward task - once he found out what I wanted to speak to him about, writes Sky News reporter Enda Brady.
Six years on from the death of Kirsty MacColl, while holidaying in Mexico, her mother Jean is joining forces with Shane to call on the country's new president to get to the truth.
"Kirsty made that song work and she was doing so well in her career, writing her own stuff, producing, and all that has been taken from her family," MacGowan told me at a pub in north London.
"That song", as Shane called it, is Fairytale of New York, often voted the greatest Christmas record of all-time.
MacColl teamed up with The Pogues in 1987, but their friendship continued long after the artistic collaboration had ended.
In recent years the band has re-formed and toured, mainly around Christmas.
At the end of each gig, after Fairytale of New York has brought the evening to a poignant close, fans are reminded that they can contribute to the Justice for Kirsty Campaign on their way out.
And their contributions are priceless when it comes to the work still being carried out by Kirsty's mother Jean.
The partially-sighted octogenarian works tirelessly from her London home, updating her website, raising funds, talking to lawyers and now writing a biography of her daughter's short, but brilliant life.
Six years on from losing Kirsty in the most horrific circumstances imaginable, Jean MacColl is determined to keep fighting for justice.
She said: "Kirsty's two boys are young men now and they deserve the truth, they deserve justice for their mother. I'm in my 80s now but I won't stop. It's the least I can do for my daughter."
Jean knows that Kirsty was killed as a result of a collision with a powerboat, but wants the Mexican authorities to do more to reveal just who was at the wheel when the impact happened.
Right now, the official records state that Juan Jose Sen Yam, an employee of high-profile Mexican businessman Guillermo Gonzalez Nova, was given a three-year jail term after he testified he was driving the boat.
That punishment, however, was later commuted when he paid an undisclosed fine (£61 according to Jean).
Kirsty's family believe the full facts about what happened that day off Cozumel - in an area reserved for swimmers and where boats are banned - have yet to emerge and they have pledged to keep battling until they get the correct information.
"Every ounce of energy I have goes into getting justice for Kirsty and some day it will come," adds her mother.
Shane MacGowan is equally confident. "We're not going away, she was a great girl and her family deserve better than what they've been given," he said.
Perhaps 2007 will finally be the year that justice for Kirsty is achieved.
:: You can find out more about the campaign by visiting http://www.justiceforkirsty.org</blockquote>
© 2006 BSkyBBack to Top
Terms & Conditions Privacy Statement Accessibility Information Site Map
