When Ian Brady, 27, a stock clerk, of no fixed address, and Myra Hindley, 23, typist, of Wardle Brook Avenue, Hyde, Cheshire, appeared in court at Hyde yesterday on murder charges, the magistrates granted a defence application that the prosecution╒s opening statement should be in camera.
The application, which was not opposed by the prosecution, was made by Mr David Lloyd-Jones, who is defending Brady. He said that powerful emotional reactions would probably be aroused by the matters to be investigated.
Mr W Mars-Jones, prosecuting, said that after the opening statement the magistrates would be able to decide whether the evidence should be heard in camera.
After the application the court was cleared, and at the end of the day the clerk to the magistrates said that the opening statement would probably continue until 11 a.m. today, when the magistrates would decide whether the rest of the evidence should be given in camera.
Brady and Hindley are both charged with the murders of Leslie Ann Downey, 10, of Charnley Walk, Ancoats, Manchester, and Edward Evans, 17, apprentice engineer, of Ardwick, Manchester.
Brady is further charged with the murder of John Kilbride, 12, of Smallshaw Lane, Ashton-under-Lyne.
Hindley is additionally charged with receiving, comforting, harbouring, assisting, and maintaining Brady, knowing that he had murdered John Kilbride.
The bodies of Lesley Downey and John Kilbride were found on the Pennine moors near Saddleworth, and the body of Evans in a house at Hattersley, Hyde.
Mr Lloyd-Jones said: ╥I don╒t think I am putting it too highly when I say that probably never before has there been more need for an approach by the jury to such a grave issue to be unbiased and unprejudiced.╙
