17 October 2023 , 14:40
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Jimmy Savile's £4,000 gravestone once had a chilling quote inscribed at the bottom before his family requested the removal of the entire memorial.
The sick paedophile has been lying in an unmarked grave at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough for over a decade after his family asked for the removal of the headstone "out of respect for public opinion." The black 4ft gravestone was broken up and used as a landfill.
At the bottom of the stone, the chilling phrase, "It was good while it lasted" was engraved in gold gothic lettering. At the time, the Savile family released a statement about the removal of the gravestone. The statement issued by the Savile family said: "The family members are deeply aware of the impact that the stone remaining there could have on the dignity and sanctity of the cemetery.
Jimmy Savile's headstone once had a chilling message (Getty Images)
The gravestone was removed over a decade ago (PA)"Out of respect to public opinion, to those who are buried there, and to those who tend their graves and visit there, we have decided to remove it." Britain's notorious paedophile is believed to have preyed on 500 victims during his life - some as young as two years old - as well as patients receiving treatment in Broadmoor Hospital.
At Broadmoor, a former nurse told investigators that he performed acts on corpses and "mucked about" in the morgue. It wasn't until after Savile's death, in 2011 aged 84, that the full extent of his sexual abuse properly came to light. There have been many documentaries about his abuse and a biographical drama is set to be released soon.
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The grave featured the epitaph 'It Was Good While It Lasted' (Jonathan Pow)The Reckoning, which has been written by Neil McKay, is a biographical account of the life of the British DJ and television personality. Following a fierce backlash, Steve Coogan (who plays Savile) spoke about the upcoming miniseries and said it could prevent history repeating itself.
During an appearance on Sunday Brunch last year, the actor told hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer that he understands people’s "antagonism about the whole idea" but claimed it features an "intelligent" script and was done "in consultation with many of Savile’s victims".
"I think that’s because Jimmy Savile played a trick on the entire nation so there’s a real feeling of antagonism about it," Coogan said as he defended the show. "But you need to look at someone like that to understand how they’re able to operate and to prevent it from happening again. If you sweep it under the carpet and just don’t talk about it anymore, then those people are destined to come back."
* The final part of The Reckoning is on BBC One at 9pm tonight