Kirsty MacColl’s former husband has expressed his dissatisfaction with the circumstances surrounding the ‘Fairytale of New York’ singer’s death.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of the mother of two. Her ex-partner, Steve Lilywhite, who was separated from her at the time, believes there is a disturbing cover-up involved in the incident.
On December 18, 2000, MacColl was on holiday with her two sons, Jamie and Louis Lilywhite, then 15 and 14 years old, on the scenic Mexican Caribbean island of Cozumel.
The 41-year-old had just completed a scuba dive with her children in a restricted area where boats were not permitted when a 31-foot speedboat charged towards them, striking both MacColl and Jamie.
In an act of bravery, the devoted mother managed to push her eldest son out of the direct path of the oncoming propeller, sacrificing herself in the process. Jamie’s oxygen tank was hit, causing him minor injuries.
The speedboat was reportedly linked to a Mexican businessman named Carlos González Nova, who was among the wealthiest individuals in Mexico at that time. However, a man named José Cen Yam claimed to have been operating the vessel, despite lacking a license.
Yam was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison. However, he avoided serving time by paying a £61 fine. Lilywhite remarked that ‘no one believes’ Yam was the actual driver.
He stated: “They said that it was a young kid driving, but no one believes that.
“I think they just didn’t want to have an enormous lawsuit because he was one of the richest guys in Mexico.”
MacColl’s mother, Jean Newlove, spearheaded a campaign supported by prominent figures like U2 to pursue judicial appeals, but Nova passed away in 2009.