As the Czech defector had also not provided any evidence to back up his claim, he said, they should let the matter rest. But after reviewing hundreds of documents released by both Czech and British authorities years later, he said there is 'no question' Stonehouse was a foreign agent. John Stonehouse, My Father: The True Story Of The Runaway MP, by Julia Stonehouse, is published by Icon on July 19 at 16.99. As she sat across the restaurant table from him that evening, my mother had no idea that this would be their last ever anniversary dinner together. 'The fact of the matter is nobody's learned anything from history', Hayes said, drawing parallels to the current political landscape. Stonehouse's daughter Julia, author of the forthcoming Stonehouse: My Father, adamantly disputes that her father ever spied for an adversary, as does much of the family, according to Hayes. The former Labour cabinet minister faked his own death and was jailed for seven years for fraud, but his loyal secretary-turned-wife Sheila Buckley stood by him to the end. They stayed together until Stonehouses death from a major heart attack. Their son James was born a year later and still visits her regularly at her 1980s red-brick home, running errands and bringing her shopping. Your email address will not be published. Morgan Phillips And Tahira Yaqoob For Mailonline, Ministers for monstrous deception: A senior Labour MP who was mired in debt, spying for the Czechs, juggling loyal wife and lovers and faked his own drowningthe story of John Stonehouse told by his great-nephew, It's your mistress or me. Despite the age gap and Stonehouse's frequent philandering, she fell in love with him and married him in 1981 after he divorced his wife Barbara. Mrs Buckley is about to become much more public after the release of two highly publicized true crime . The three policemen stood over him, holding back his arms. The banking community of Melbourne would ensure that the next time he turned up, he would be under police surveillance. Mrs Stonehouse visited her husband without Ms Buckley and agreed to return to Australia with the kids so long as Sheila stayed away, but when she returned, there Sheila was. The reports were to give him no peace of mind. John is widely remembered for his unsuccessful attempt at faking his death in 1974, leaving a pile of clothes in Miami Beach to make it appear he had drowned or been eaten by a shark. Sign up for Bustle UK's twice-weekly newsletter, featuring the latest must-watch TV, moving personal stories, and expert advice on the hottest viral buys. It says its based on a true story, and thats really as far as it goes. He survived, but on April 14 he was admitted to Southampton General hospital. The couple were married for over 30 years and shared three children until John decided to fake his death and start a new life with his secretary Sheila Buckley in Australia. My mother hoped Jim's presence would help her husband maintain his emotional equilibrium. A week or so later, my father visited a Mrs Mildoon, the widow of a man named Donald Clive Mildoon, at her newsagent's shop in Walsall Road, Wednesbury, introducing himself as John Stonehouse MP and saying he'd read of her husband's death in the newspapers. The most recent series, Stonehouse, which dramatizes the lives and events surrounding the greatJohn Stonehouse, who has been the Labour minister,has revived memories of the seemingly unforgettably shocking event that shook the nation. 'It would be politically very embarrassing for government to go ahead with the prosecution,' Hayes said, adding that there weren't enough witnesses willing to come forward for a trial. According to the Daily Mail, she lives alone in an isolated 700,000 property in the English county Romsey on the chalk stream, River Test. But a slow insidious step-by-step persuasion to cooperate worked. The pair had an affair which became public after Stonehouses attempt to fake his death emerged. On 6 September 1978 Stonehouse suffered a coronary ischemia attack which required him to spend three days in hospital. A look at what happened to the real John Stonehouse after his life was explored in new ITV smash-hit show. Emer Heatley is an English actress. In the wake of faking his death, he went to Australia to make another living with his beautiful wife and former secretary Sheila. 'As a British diplomat reported back to Downing Street at the time: 'Although remarkably attractive and seemingly composed, [Sheila] is really rather a silly person who has been brought to her present situation by infatuation with Mr Stonehouse', Hayes writes in his new book. . By Patrick Hollis. She was an attractive brunette who gave in to John Stonehouse, who she knew wasa married party member. But it doesnt stand up to scrutiny and it certainly wasnt believed by the jury in his trial.. But on other occasions the conflict between his various personas left him emotionally exhausted. DON'T MISSDavina McCall's appearance sparks concern on The Masked Singer[VIEWER REACTION]Camilla Tominey shuts down This Morning host in probe over Harry[VIDEO]Ruth Langsford shares Eamonn Holmes bedroom confession[INSIGHT]. He remembered that in Frederick Forsyth's book The Day Of The Jackal, another identity could be obtained by presenting a birth certificate to the Passport Office. On 25 March 1988, Stonehouse collapsed on set during an edition of Central Weekend in Birmingham during the filming of a programme about missing people. With each setback in his life, each anxiety attack or bout of depression, he popped another Mandrax or Mogadon into his mouth, becoming ever more paranoid in the process. The series concluded on January 4, but this isnt the end of the story with ITV1 airing a companion documentary The Real Stonehouse yesterday (January 5) at 9pm on ITV1. Sheila said the calls were difficult to follow because he was speaking about himself in the third person, telling her that 'John' had to get away from the pressures in England. Stonehouse was later sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for fraud, theft and deception. Igor Grabuzov - Plays Alexander Marek. What had begun as a mad escape fantasy was becoming a disturbing reality. More than 40 years on, Ms Buckley, now 80, cuts a very different figure in the secluded cul-de-sac where she now lives a sedate life, pruning her roses and helping clients with their tax returns. But why is everyone so enthusiastic about this series, and who was Sheila Buckley? Again, the rumours were utterly unfounded. 17:01 EST 10 Jul 2021 My handsome, generous and brilliant father had seemed in good spirits that night, and my mother was relieved. He arrived there on November 29 and wandered the streets for several days looking for British newspapers to find out what was going on back home. Well soon learn how the young woman was involved in all of this, but in the meanwhile, if youd like to see it as a drama, dont miss Stonehouse, about which additional details will be posted on our website. Dorothy Atkinson ( All Creatures Great and Small) - Plays Betty Boothroyd. I didn't talk to them. Stonehouse airs on Tuesday 3 January at 9pm on ITV. He left behind a tidy mound of garments. At a meeting with the producers, he expressed certain views about the drama. He could have been recognised as John Stonehouse MP at any time. A documentary about the real John Stonehouse is set to air on ITV1 in the UK after the final episode. Stonehouse was found guilty of fraud and forgery amongst other things, after faking his own death in order to start a new life with Buckley. He asked for a single room, but they didn't have one so accommodated him for the same price in their best suite, the largest my father had ever seen. Also Read: How To Watch Stonehouse Episodes? The crook attempted to escape a British courtroom by seeking refuge in Sweden and Mauritius, however, Scotland Yard police, much like Sherlock Holmes, ultimately brought him back to London. I send him my undying love and respect.. Although never proved, the accusations threw a dark cloak of suspicion round him. In 2010, classified Government papers were released showing that in 1980 Margaret Thatchers attorney general, Sir Michael Havers repeated the allegation. My parents, John and Barbara Stonehouse, celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary at their favourite restaurant in London on the evening of November 13, 1974. Barbara and John got married in 1948 when he was just 23 and had three children together: Jane, Julia and Matthew with the couple married for 30 years. Stonehouses daughter, Julia, dismissed the spy claims in her own book, John Stonehouse, My Father, published in 2021. "For all his many flaws as a character, there is an air of innocence about [Stonehouse]. If you wish to change your mind and would like to stop receiving communications from hellomagazine.com, you can revoke your consent by clicking on "unsubscribe" in the footer of the newsletter. She went on to say the entire family found the series emotionally damaging and didnt collaborate on it. "What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of . 'I didn . Maura Tierneys Affair: What Happened in the Show? During this meeting, Sheila knew John was alive after having spent the weekend with him. He was once seen as one the the partys most promising prospects, but his career ended in bizarre fashion when he faked his own death in 1974. After satisfying themselves that he was, in fact, John Stonehouse MP, the hospital gave him about five names. Most of the peripheral characters are made up, and very little is factually correct, he said. Your email address will not be published. Stonehouse, who faked his own death before fleeing to Australia with Buckley, was imprisoned for fraud in 1976. A lot of sinister mysteries are hidden under her invisible reputation. What he did was very carefully planned, it required a clear head', Hayes said. By the middle of 1974, he had decided he had had enough. You can unsubscribe at any time. Hayes is also one of the contributors featured in the ITV documentary The Real Stonehouse, alongside many others including Edwina Currie and Harold Wilsons Private Secretary Robin Butler. 'Why do you do this to me?' This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. But why is everyone so enthusiastic about this series, and who was Sheila Buckley? John married his mistress, Sheila Elizabeth Buckley, in Hampshire on January 31, 1981. Morgan Phillips And Tahira Yaqoob For Mailonline Julia wrote: At 4am, Jane answered the phone. A honeytrap executed by the Czech secret services has been substituted for the real-life slow insidious grooming of the Labour MP for Wednesbury and Walsall North, he said. He loves children.' But when his duplicity was unveiled, then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher decided not to pursue charges of treason. After divorcing his loving wife Barbara Smith and marrying his mistress Sheila Buckley, Stonehouse attempted to turn his life around, but died at the age of 62. My father would later acquire copies of birth certificates for both Clive Mildoon and Joseph Markham, and falsely obtain one passport in the name of Markham. Our first thought when we heard the shattering news of his disappearance was my father had gone swimming far out from the shore in Miami and had either had a bad case of cramp or a heart attack, or had even been eaten by sharks. It's unbelievable to us, the family, that my father should do something as cold-hearted as having a conversation with two widows with a view to adopting their husbands' names. What happened to John Stonehouse's children? During my father's trial at the Old Bailey the following year, Sheila described how she had been completely bowled over to receive the call. On November 22 my older sister Jane wrote in her diary: 'I just hope they never find his body, then I can imagine him starting a new life.'. In 1988, he died after a heart attack,. According to the Daily Mail, James visits his elderly mother Sheila who is living a quiet life away from the spotlight and working as a chartered accountant. At the beginning of December, my mother Barbara had a call from a newspaper reporter asking about a flat my father rented at Petty France, Westminster. Thats why Im quite certain that a honeytrap was never on the agenda, he said. Great-nephew of MP who faked death in 1974 says there was psychological grooming by Czech spies but no honeytrap. Hayes, a lawyer, saw a preview of the first episode of the three-part drama and read the scripts as part of a consultation. By . To flee the enormous debts he had accrued, Stonehouse started a new covert life using a deceased gentleman, called John Markhams passport, while authorities questioned his enigmatic death. My father booked into an expensive hotel and that afternoon and the following day made several visits to two banks, withdrawing and depositing large sums of money using the names of both Markham and Mildoon. The disgraced politician was foiled after the police caught him in 1974, believing he was missing aristocrat Lord Lucan. Just over a month after his disappearance, Stonehouse was arrested in Australia by police who initially mistook him for Lord Lucan, the aristocrat who had gone missing 12 days before Stonehouse did. Towards the end of episode 1, there's some tension between Barbara Stonehouse (his wife) and Sheila Buckley (his secretary). We are no longer accepting comments on this article. "What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of legend," said Macfadyen, who takes on the lead role. He'd been a Minister of Aviation, worked on the development of Concorde and even negotiated the sales of the engines powering the very planes he was flying around in. Sheila Buckley was John Stonehouse MP secretary who disappeared with him when he faked his own death in 1974 and fled to Australia. Stonehouse writer reveals real-life Barbara and Sheila's reaction to ITV series Matthew MacFadyen stars in the drama January 05, 2023 - 19:02 GMT Nicky Morris Stonehouse writer John Preston. Mr.John Stonehoouse and his secretary Mrs. Sheila Buckley, appeared before the magistrate at Bow Street Police station today after he and Mrs. Buckley had spent the night in the cells. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Emer Heatley portrayed Sheila Buckley in ITV's Stonehouse ITV In The Real Stonehouse, an ITV documentary released in tandem with the series, retired Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector. He underwent open heart surgery on 7 November 1978 which lasted for six hours. It was utterly callous and heartless., ITV said: Based on years of extensive research, the writer John Preston dramatised the aspects that interested him most and has created a rich, colourful and poignant account of an unforgettable politician., Stonehouse is available on ITVX. Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes and Emer Heatley. Many times he'd respond to the call of his false name and go to various desks to collect the new paperwork. Sheila is now in her 80s and is said to leave a "sedate life" gardening and helping clients with their tax returns, The Daily Mail reported in 2021. It didnt take long for the pair to begin an illicit relationship, which was made public after John was apprehended in Australia following the foresaidfailed effort to fake his death. She fell in love with a married boss who faked his death. 'Stonehouse must definitely die.'. Five weeks later, he was arrested in Australia, where he had been joined by his lover. John Stonehouse served in Prime Minister Harold Wilson's office as a member of the British Labor and Co-usable parties. She ended up with [a suspended sentence of] two years in prison for being in love with someone. Stonehouse used a new alias after faking his own death, but his ruse only lasted a month before the Australian authorities arrested him, though believing he was a different fugitive. John Stonehouse, pictured in August 1975, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for fraud, theft and deception. Who Was Sheila Buckley And How She Connected To The Stonehouse Scandal? He also visited a Mrs Markham, widow of Joseph Markham. Anybody on any of his numerous flights could have recognised him. The Labour MP for Walsall North had been a high-flyer in Harold Wilson's government of 1964 but just years later found himself in financial ruin, in the midst of an extramarital affair and had been questioned by MI5 about spying for the Czech secret service. Early on the morning of Wednesday, December 4, he phoned Sheila. They were also keeping the flat he had begun renting under constant surveillance. I think I'm going to have his baby.'. Streaming Guide. ITV drama Stonehouse wrapped up yesterday (January 4) with the finale of the three-parter hitting screens. The first episode of three-part series - simply titled . John Stonehouse, pictured in August 1975, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for fraud, theft and deception. Stonehouse and Buckley stayed together following his arrest and sentencing, and Buckley would regularly visit him in prison. When the former politician was released in 1980, the couple married a year later and had a son, James William John. Leading the cast as John Stonehouse is Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice), with his real-life partner Keeley Hawes (The Durrells) playing Stonehouse's wife, Barbara.. They're joined by Emer Heatley (Showtrial) as Stonehouse's mistress Sheila Buckley, Kevin R McNally (The Crown) as Harold Wilson, and Dorothy Atkinson (All Creatures Great and Small) as Betty Boothroyd. Oblivious to all this, Mr Markham bought a ticket to Copenhagen. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. She was young, attractive, and she clearly loved him very much.. She now works as a chartered accountant and. 'It was then that he told me he was also Mr Mildoon, which had the result of leaving me totally confused,' Sheila would later tell the Old Bailey. He was not wearing any kind of disguise. 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