Grieving families of serial killer Dennis Nilsen’s victims slam ITV’s new ‘cash grabbing’ drama

The grieving families of serial killer Dennis Nilsen’s victims have called ITV’s new dramatisation ‘cash grabbing’ as they revisit the chilling crimes four decades on.  

A three part ITV series called Des, after the murderer known to have brutally murdered at least 12 young men and boys between 1978-1983, will air in Autumn 2020.

Doctor Who star David Tennant, 48, is set to portray Nilsen, as he carries out his twisted murders.

But heartbroken families of the British serial killer’s 12 known victims have slammed the decision to relive the incidents on the nation’s televisions.

Terrifying: David Tennant (pictured) has been transformed into the Scottish serial killer and necrophile Dennis Nilsen in a first look at the chilling ITV drama

Speaking to The Sun a family friend of Seaton Sutherland, whose oldest brother Billy died at the hands of Nilsen, said: ‘They [ITV] don’t care about the victim’s families, they’re just making money out of people’s misery and jumping on the bandwagon.

‘I thought better of ITV, they’re cash grabbers. Can’t they just let it be? He’s dead, that was it. To think they are trying to make money out of a TV series.’

Adding: ‘It hurt the whole family. Nilsen is dead but the victim’s families aren’t.’ 

Written by Luke Neal, Des is based on material from Killing For Company, which included conversations with twisted Nilson, whose nickname was Des.

It is currently in development with filming about to commence and the series likely to air next year.

The murders all took place in the two North London addresses in which former civil servant Nilsen resided between 1978 and 1983.

Chilling: The Doctor Who star (pictured), 48, will portray Nilsen in the three-part ITV series

Sinister: Killer Nilson brutally murdered at least 12 young men in London between 1978-1983 (pictured)

Chilling: The Doctor Who star (L), 48, will portray Nilsen (R), who brutally murdered at least 12 young men and boys in London between 1978-1983, in three part ITV series, Des

Described as a loner, he became known as the Muswell Hill Murderer, as he committed his later murders in the Muswell Hill district of North London.

Nilsen who grew up in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, worked as an Army cook for 11 years before joining the Metropolitan Police for eight months and later the civil service.

Between 1978 and 1983, he killed at least 15 men and boys but claimed he could not remember the names of nine.

All his victims were students or mostly homeless men whom he took to his house either for sex or just for company. Once there, they were strangled or drowned.

Transformed: ITV's head of drama said: 'David Tennant is going to be brilliant as Nilsen and, with Daniel and Jason, this has an incredible cast'

Transformed: ITV’s head of drama said: ‘David Tennant is going to be brilliant as Nilsen and, with Daniel and Jason, this has an incredible cast’

Eventually, he would dismember them and hide the remains, storing these under floorboards or in bin bags stuffed into a wardrobe.

Unsuspecting Billy Sutherland, 26, a divorcee with a girlfriend and three-year-old son, left his home in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, for London in August 1980 to find a job but mysteriously ‘vanished’ within days of arriving in the capital.

He had worked as a chef in London previously and hoped to find something similar when he visited the job centre where Nilsen worked. Hearing his Scottish accent, the killer suggested they to go for a drink.

Billy would become Nilsen’s fourth victim that night but it was another three years before his family discovered he was dead.

They reported his disappearance in 1980 to police in London and he remained a ‘missing person’ until Nilsen’s killing spree was uncovered in 1983 – he was identified from a tattoo on a piece of skin remaining.

Portrayal: The project will also star Line of Duty actor Jason Watkins as Brian Masters who wrote iconic book Killing For Company

Important: Brian Masters had conversations with the twisted killer in his iconic 1985 tome

Portrayal: The project will also star Line of Duty actor Jason Watkins as Brian Masters (R), who wrote iconic book Killing For Company

ITV’s head of drama, Polly Hill said: ‘This starts with Nilsen’s arrest and is looking at him through the eyes of the police officer trying to identify those he killed and deliver justice.’

‘David Tennant is going to be brilliant as Nilsen and, with Daniel and Jason, this has an incredible cast.’

The project will also star Line of Duty actor Jason Watkins as Brian Masters, who wrote iconic book Killing For Company on the murderer, and Daniel Mays as Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay. 

Speaking about the crime documentary, Kim Varvell, Executive Producer for New Pictures added: ‘Dennis Nilsen’s crimes shocked the nation in the early 1980s.

Star: Line of Duty star Daniel Mays will play Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay

Star: Line of Duty star Daniel Mays will play Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay

‘Our programme focuses on the emotional impact of those terrible crimes, both on those who came into contact with Nilsen himself, and also on the victims’ families.’

This isn’t the first time the families have been forced to relive the pain, a gruesome and ‘pornographic’ memoir written by the killer was released in sections online despite government ban – making unsubstantiated claims.

Speaking after the release of the killer’s gruesome memoirs in 2013 his brother said: ‘My mum was watching the news on TV. They were digging up Nilsen’s garden, looking for bodies.

‘There was a knock at the door and it was detectives to say they had found parts of Billy under Nilsen’s floorboards. There was a piece of skin with a tattoo on it and his false teeth, which forensics used to confirm his identity. The whole family were in shock.’ 

Haunting: Described as a loner, Nilson became known as the Muswell Hill Murderer, as he committed his later murders in the Muswell Hill district of North London (pictured)

Haunting: Described as a loner, Nilson became known as the Muswell Hill Murderer, as he committed his later murders in the Muswell Hill district of North London (pictured)

Evil: The murders all took place in the two North London addresses in which Nilsen resided between 1978 and 1983 (pictured 1983 at Highgate Magistrates Court)

Evil: The murders all took place in the two North London addresses in which Nilsen resided between 1978 and 1983 (pictured 1983 at Highgate Magistrates Court)

Mr Sutherland added: ‘A memorial service was held for Billy but my dad, a proud marine engineer, couldn’t face going back to his job and my mum developed depression.

‘Her only hope was when she died she would see Billy again.

‘She also hoped to see Nilsen die in prison but that never happened. My parents are dead now and I can never forgive Nilsen for the misery he put them both through.’

It was not just the circumstances of Billy’s death, however, which tortured his family but the casual – and, they believe, untrue – comment to police by Nilsen after his arrest that the Scot had been a male prostitute. 

Seaton Sutherland added: ‘I hate the fact every time I search on the internet for ‘Billy Sutherland’ – which is also the name of my son – that a picture of my brother comes up with the words ‘male prostitute’ next to a photograph of Nilsen.

‘I’m angry that’s how my brother’s remembered and I’m angry Nilsen’s book is being published. This has to stop now. We’re not dealing with fiction here – real lives have been destroyed because of this man’s heinous crimes.’

The young men murdered by Nilson were strangled or drowned in his bath after being invited to his home with the promise of alcohol or a place to sleep.

Serial killer: Most of Nilsen's victims were homosexual or homeless men who he would pick up in bars across London or on the street before strangling them to death

Serial killer: Most of Nilsen’s victims were homosexual or homeless men who he would pick up in bars across London or on the street before strangling them to death

After the murders twisted Nilsen would lie next to the bodies, removing their clothes and keeping them in his house for weeks before either putting them on a bonfire or burying them under the floorboards.

He dismembered victims and carried out sex acts with their corpses – parts of which he flushed down the toilet.

A plumber who was called to investigate a problem at the killer’s and neighbour’s homes eventually uncovered the murderer – leading to his arrest.

Nilsen complained that it seemed someone had been ‘flushing down their Kentucky Fried Chicken’.

He was convicted of six counts of murder and two of attempted murder and jailed for life in 1983, with a recommendation he serve a minimum of 25 years.

It is understood that authorities believe Nilsen died from natural causes.

 

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