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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Benjamin Lynch

How did Jimmy Savile die? Haunting final days before BBC paedophile's death

Jimmy Savile - Britain's most notorious paedophile - got away with never facing the consequences of his crimes.

Savile is suspected of committing close to 500 crimes in his life - the prolific sex offender was accused of "mucking about" with dead bodies in a mortuary, as well as using his grooming techniques to abuse freely at the infamous psychiatric hospital Broadmoor.

During his life, Savile's work as a charity man, campaigner and TV presenter earned him hero status among the general public and the British establishment.

'Sir' Jimmy Savile lived to a long age and, although he was openly accused and rumoured to be sex offender during his life, victims' allegations against him were dismissed.

His death brought accusations that continue to horrify the public to this day and resulted in Operation Yewtree, an investigation into historical acts of sex abuse that led to the downfall of some of Britain's most famous broadcast personalities and showbiz people like Rolf Harris and Stuart Hall.

Morbid fascination with his crimes continues to this day and he is the subject of a new BBC drama starring Steve Coogan, as well as Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story released on April 6.

How did Jimmy Savile die?

Jimmy Savile's comments in the lead up to his death now seem like a harrowing foreshadowing ((Photo by Eamonn McCabe/Popperfoto via Getty Images))

Jimmy Savile died of pneumonia two days before his 85th birthday at his penthouse home in Roundhay, Leeds.

Nephew Roger Foster said at the time that the paedophile had "passed away quietly in his sleep during the night".

Savile was buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough. He demanded to be buried at a 45-degree angle in order for the Jim'll Fix It presenter to 'have a view of the sea'.

After a tidal wave of allegations about his past crimes came out, Savile's family removed his £4,000 headstone and it was sent to landfill. The headstone bore the inscription "it was good while it lasted".

When did Jimmy Savile die?

Jimmy Savile died at the age of 84 on October 29 2011, having been in hospital with pneumonia a short time before.

In an interview before he died, Savile said: "I've got a bounce back-ability, but this time I don't seem to be bouncing back."

Savile also said in response to a question about turning 85: "So many women, so little time."

Brave witnesses and victims of his crimes have told how Savile abused his positions of power and raped or molested them in his dressing room when he was Top Of The Pops presenter.

His position as a beloved TV presenter and charity worker allowed Savile to get away with his crimes, including at Stoke Mandeville hospital, where he volunteered as a porter.

An inquiry into the death of a teenage girl reportedly led to Savile admitting to his bosses at Radio One that he had been taking girls as young as 14 back to his flat after Top Of The Pops as they did not have a place to stay for the night.

His explanation that he was simply doing them a favour seems to have been accepted at the time

A leaked BBC report in 2016 explained how Savile managed to avoid detection.

It read: "During the Savile years, the culture in the BBC and BBC's management style did not encourage the reporting of complaints or concerns.

"Given the hierarchical structure, the impracticability of complaining to anyone other than a line manager and the weakness of the personnel department, the only option for a victim of inappropriate behaviour during the Savile years was to put up with it or leave."

The original draft, published by investigative news site Exaro News, bizarrely concluded: "By and large, they chose to stay because, in many respects, the BBC was a wonderful place to work."

*Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story starts streaming on Netflix from April 6 2022

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