She died after saving her son’s life
Fairytale of New York singer Kirsty MacColl died while saving her son’s life.
The singer from Croydon had a successful music career throughout the 80s and 90s, making a name for herself particularly in the new wave and alternative rock genres while staying true to her folk roots.
Before her solo career took off, she was a backing vocalist for groups such as Simple Minds and The Smiths and went by the name Mandy Doubt.
In 1981, she broke into the top 20 with country-pop song There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis.
Covers of Billy Bragg’s A New England and the Kinks’ Days proved to be successful for MacColl.
However, the most successful song of her career was a song which has become somewhat of a Christmas classic – Fairytale of New York which saw her collaborate with Shane McGowan and the Pogues.
Tragedy struck in December 2000 after MacColl had recorded a radio programme for the BBC in Cuba.
She took her sons, aged 13 and 15 on holiday to Mexico along with her boyfriend and fellow musician James Knight.
MacColl went diving with her two boys in a reef which was an area marked as a watercraft-restricted zone.
As they resurfaced, a powerboat entered the restriction zone at a dangerously high speed and was heading towards the trio.
Her 15 year-old son Jamie was right in the path of the boat which was racing towards them.
She managed to get to him and push him out of the way but she was hit by the boat and killed instantly after suffering severe head and chest injuries.
The boat was owned by the founder of Comercial Mexicana supermarket chain, Carlos Gonzalez Nova.
It was later revealed that an employee of Guillermo, José Cen Yam, was in control of the boat at the time of the incident, though eyewitnesses refuted this.
Cen Yam was found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to two years and ten months in prison.
He was allowed under Mexican law to pay a punitive fine of 1,034 pesos (about €63, £61 or US$90) in lieu of the prison sentence and was ordered to pay money to MacColl’s family.
MacColl’s family then launched the Justice For Kirsty campaign following this, as they pushed for a judicial review due to the supposed lack of cooperation from the Mexican government on the incident.
Carlos Gonzalez Nova died of natural causes aged 92, leading to the dissolution of the campaign. All remaining funds were donated to charity.
