'There aren't the checks and balances that there needs to be in order for transparency and integrity,' Hayes said. The allegation was levelled after the MP made a series of visits to the country, which was then part of the Soviet Eastern Bloc, but he defended himself and remained in office. Julia has also slammed the ITV drama, branding it disgusting and saying she and her mother - who now goes by Barbara Flexney-Briscoe - were furious. Assuming he'd drowned or been attacked by a shark, the great and the good paid tribute to him in fulsome obituaries published in London. NOT both! What had begun as a mad escape fantasy was becoming a disturbing reality. And now escape was beckoning, enticing him towards a new existence free of financial, political and emotional stress and perhaps, above all, the pain of being called a traitor to the country he'd worked so hard for all his life. Short on cash but looking to bankroll the lavish lifestyle of an ambitious politician, he developed a relationship with the Czech StB, or secret service, write Hayes. It turned out to be easier than he expected. According to popular belief, Buckley was not simply in it for the moneyshe was actually in love with her boss. they asked him. Again, the rumours were utterly unfounded. 'So it's not surprising that by the time I've finished she's already written this book.'. 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. 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. The three-part drama, which stars Matthew Macfadyen in the titular role, tells the story of disgraced Labour minister John Stonehouse, who attempted to fake his own death in 1974. But people believed his new personas, and he began to enjoy the feeling. But they would cast aspersions on his integrity for the rest of his life. By now, it had been revealed that Stonehouse, a serial philanderer, was in a long-term affair with his secretary, Sheila Buckley, who was 21 years younger. John married his mistress, Sheila Elizabeth Buckley, in Hampshire on January 31, 1981. In 2010, classified Government papers were released showing that in 1980 Margaret Thatchers attorney general, Sir Michael Havers repeated the allegation. Dorothy Atkinson ( All Creatures Great and Small) - Plays Betty Boothroyd. Stonehouses actions were the result of meticulous planning of the most premeditated nature fake identities, false bank accounts and credit cards, taking money out of his businesses, said Hayes. While in prison Stonehouse suffered from a series of heart attacks and Buckley . Even though he was inappropriate for her to be in love with, she ultimately received a two-year prison sentence for her infatuation. ITVs scintillating three-part drama Stonehouse has gripped viewers this week. In the next few weeks he set up a large number of additional accounts, including one with the Bank of New South Wales in the City of London, telling them he was considering emigrating to Australia, and another in Zurich. Although never proved, the accusations threw a dark cloak of suspicion round him. Stonehouse was accused of being a spy for Czechoslovakia in 1969 by Josef Frolk, a defector from the Czech secret services. Stonehouse was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Buckley received a suspended sentence of two years. During this meeting, Sheila knew John was alive after having spent the weekend with him. Succession star Matthew Macfadyen leads the cast of new ITV1 drama Stonehouse as the titular politician who faked his own death in a bid to start a new life in Australia. Sheila Buckley, former secretary to British MP John Stonehouse, outside the Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, London, 1976. He was utterly distraught and incoherent, she said. John Stonehouse was in the political cold. He asked her to come to Melbourne, and to bring Sheila with her. he lamented. A documentary about the real John Stonehouse is set to air on ITV1 in the UK after the final episode. The courts agreed. The new ITV drama, Stonehouse, is telling the story of one of the UKs most intriguing political scandals. ' he wrote. But she told Sheila: 'If John does turn up and you've got rid of it, it will make him very upset. Hayes also noted Russia and China creeping into the political affairs of Western nations, and politicians playing into the hands of big business. She now works as a chartered accountant and her son is said to visit her and does shopping for her. He had a son named James William John with Sheila in December 1982. The ITV drama isnt the only thing to have attracted criticism from the family, Johns great-nephew Julian Hayes wrote his own book Stonehouse: Cabinet Minister, Fraudster, Spy. Stonehouse vanished after leaving a pile of clothes at the water's edge in Miami in an extraordinary bid to fake his own death or suicide in 1974. After he was caught, Stonehouse phoned his wife to tell her that he was in fact, not dead. Barbara was left deeply upset by the admission but also told Sheila how John had had many affairs in the past. John Stonehouse's mistress Sheila Buckley is pictured today (left) some 47 years after she was at the centre of the rogue MP's spectacular downfall when he faked his own death. 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. Sheila Buckley, the secretary and mistress, later wife of John Stonehouse, circa 1980 Credit: Keystone His reappearance was to prove a mixed blessing for Harold Wilson. She puts his behaviour down to depression, breakdown and use of prescription drugs, said Hayes. , updated To support herself after having lost Stonehouse, who has been over two decades older than her, it is said that she is an avid gardener and was employed as an auditor and bookkeeper. She spends her days gardening with a partner who does not live with her and working from home as a chartered accountant. Sheila has remained private and rarely speaks out about her late husband. What really happened when West Midlands MP John Stonehouse faked his own death A new drama is currently being shown on ITV about the former Wednesbury MP who faked his own death amid the assertion that he was a Czechoslovak spy - here are 11 photos of the real John Stonehouse By Joe Forte 4th Jan 2023, 12:43pm Emer Heatley is 29 years old Sheila Buckley in the new ITV series Stonehouse. But shortly afterwards, rumours began swirling that the fund had once topped 1 million, and that approximately 600,000 was missing. 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. At the time of his disappearance he owed at least 75,000 (the equivalent of 800,000 today). 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. Towards the end of episode 1, there's some tension between Barbara Stonehouse (his wife) and Sheila Buckley (his secretary). In one of the most astonishing scandals in British history, former Postmaster General Stonehouse went on the run when a string of crooked business deals finally caught up with him. She thought it would be dangerous to go against his wishes because of the chance he might attempt suicide. Three days later my father phoned again. "What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of legend. My father's bathroom cabinet was full of bottles of Mandrax, a drug then widely prescribed for insomnia and anxiety but now banned for more than 30 years because of its negative impact on mental health. Jane is said to have written in her diary how John had flipped his lid given his mistress Sheila was 28 while she was 25 and Julia was about to turn 24 at the time. Succession star Matthew Macfadyen played disgraced Labour MP John Stonehouse with the series charting his spectacular fall from grace. WATCH:Keeley Hawes reveals what it was like to work with husband Matthew Macfadyen on Stonehouse. The partner of imprisoned MP John Stonehouse, Sheila Buckley discusses Stonehouse's declining health after he was declined parole. She was once the glamorous brunette whose lover, the notorious John Stonehouse MP, scandalised Westminster. Sheila Buckley Wiki:-Sheila Buckley is a former Secretary M.P. 'I can't take it any more,' he'd told her. But by 1974, he was at the point of financial ruin, and faked his death and disappeared. ITVs Stonehouse drama showcased the pair in the midst of a high-profile scandal. They arrived at the vast and magnificent Fairmont, high on a hill overlooking the city. RME113E5 - Jul. In fact, he was going to start to a new life in Australia with his secretary and mistress Sheila Buckley. Lucan was the other big character the world was looking for at the time, having gone missing in the same month as my father after allegedly killing his children's nanny. He was travelling with Jim Charlton, the deputy chairman of his trade and export company, Global Imex. The script was written by John Preston, whose credits include A Very English Scandal, about the Jeremy Thorpe affair, which became a TV drama starring Hugh Grant, and The Dig, about the archaeological site Sutton Hoo, which was made into a 2021 film starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan. Ms Buckley worked as Stonehouses parliamentary secretary while he was an MP. Buckley has rarely spoken about that relationship but did talk briefly about his declining health in 1978 after the politician experienced a series of heart attacks while in prison. Stonehouse airs on Tuesday 3 January at 9pm on ITV. Stonehouse was released from prison in 1979 and two years later married his mistress, Sheila Buckley, who gave birth to their son the following year. 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. On November 7, 1978, he underwent a six-hour open heart procedure. He was in total shock. For two years before his disappearance he was self-medicating on a cocktail of the two, essentially without any form of supervision. Just a few days beforehand he'd phoned her from America and said something that had troubled her. If theyd said, John, wed like you to spy for us, hed have said no. Starring Matthew Macfadyen as Stonehouse, the drama tells the story of how the MP vanished from a Florida hotel . MORE:Stonehouse star Matthew Macfadyen reveals concerns ahead of working with wife Keeley Hawes. 'I could see it all clearly,' he later wrote. My mother drove Sheila to an Underground station and, when they pulled over, Sheila said: 'You may as well know it all. Born in 1925, John Stonehouse was active in the co-operative movement and a longtime anti-colonial campaigner who was elected as a Labour MP in 1957. Sheila Buckley was John Stonehouse MP secretary who disappeared with him when he faked his own death in 1974 and fled to Australia. Sheila Buckley was the former secretary and mistress of the politician (Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) She has claimed the politician made moves, but she had no interest. Sharp-eyed officials had spotted him coming and going and made a note that he should be treated with extreme caution. Before being freed on parole in August 1975 and making a statement in the House of Commons in which he claimed a psychotic breakdown was to blame for his pretend death, Stonehouse continued to serve as a parliamentarian for Walsall North while incarcerated along with his wife. For Ms Buckley, then a 22-year-old ingenue impressed by her dashing boss, Stonehouse was not just her mentor, but also a shoulder to cry on after she discovered her husband had cheated on her and began divorce proceedings. In court, Stonehouse had tried to mount a defence that he'd been in the throes of a mental breakdown and had taken on the alter ego of his dead constituent, even convincing psychiatrists of his split personality. 'When Julia got wind of the book, there were then a number of quite, how shall we put it, terse emails,' Hayes said. It must have been a terrible shock to her, and to Mrs Markham, to find their husbands' names being used in this way. Description. He survived, but on April 14 he was admitted to Southampton General hospital. '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. Streaming Guide. He is also a regular on Mogadon, a benzodiazepine with well-recognized side effects including depression, impaired judgment, delusions and schizophrenia. Stonehouse and Buckley were extradited and charged with conspiracy, fraud and theft. On Christmas Eve that year, Mrs Mildoon read on the front page of her local paper that John Stonehouse had been found in Australia using the name Clive Mildoon. He obtained two fake passports, left his clothes on a Miami beach and fled to Australia via Hawaii, leaving his wife in shock and three children believing their dad was dead. Throughout everything that's happened with my family, over all the years, this is the one thing we find so terrible. Stonehouse and Buckley stayed together following his arrest and sentencing, and Buckley would regularly visit him in prison. John had three children with his first wife Barbara Joan Stonehouse: Julia, Jane and son Mathew. Taken with alcohol, it can be fatal. Like this story? 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. Thats why Im quite certain that a honeytrap was never on the agenda, he said. My mother hoped Jim's presence would help her husband maintain his emotional equilibrium. Through his own careless behaviour he had managed to raise the alarm within only 48 hours of his arrival. Words fall short of expressing our grief for your loss, as we mourn with family and friends for this great loss. Julia wrote: At 4am, Jane answered the phone. The pair had an affair which became public after Stonehouses attempt to fake his death emerged. But he provided the Czechs with information and got a lot of money from them. What he did was very carefully planned, it required a clear head', Hayes said. In 1988, he died after a final heart. When Msr Stonehouse threatened to leave her husband if Ms Buckley stayed, he threatened to kill himself, then collapsed into Sheila's arms and his wife realised he had made his choice, according to Hayes. Facing charges of alleging fraud, forgery and conspiracy involving 170,000, he was refused bail and remanded in custody. But when his duplicity was unveiled, then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher decided not to pursue charges of treason. She is seen as a lovely, compassionate person who was swayed by Stonehouse, she got herself drawn into doing something she should never have done. ITVs latest three-part drama Stonehouse tells the true story of Labour MP John Stonehouse, played by Successions Matthew Macfayden, who faked his death to set up a new life in Australia with his secretary Sheila Buckley (Emer Heatley). . He seemed very confused as to who he was, she said. Moreover, he'd already made basic, stupid mistakes in Australia. READ MORE:The true story behind ITV's Stonehouse and MP who faked his own death. . Sheila left the car. According to the Daily Mail, Buckley lives in a 700,000 detached home in the small town and is known to be a keen gardener and is understood to have worked as an accountant or book-keeper to support herself and her son following Stonehouses death. He was a bit of a romantic and saw himself as this kind of Don Quixote figure and there's a lot of sadness there as well. I think I'm going to have his baby.'. Once tipped as a future prime minister, he rose to become minister of aviation, the final postmaster general and a privy counsellor advising the Queen. 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. How To Watch Trigun Stampede Episodes? He was not a spy in the sense of James Bond or the novels of John Le Carr. When he was a parliamentarian, Sheila forged a partnership with him. See also. Sheila Buckley, former secretary to British MP John Stonehouse, outside the Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, London, 1976. 23:37 GMT 30 Jul 2021. Streaming Guide. . He didn't know it, but his luck had run out. 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. Sheila Buckley. Its side effects include depression, anxiety, paranoia, mental confusion, poor decision-making and an increased risk of suicide. Stonehouse writer John Preston has revealed the real-life Barbara Stonehouse and Sheila Buckley's reactions to the making of the series. It says its based on a true story, and thats really as far as it goes. 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.'. Its a classic case of truth being stranger than fiction.. John wed Sheila Elizabeth Buckley in Hampshire on January 31 1981. John tragically died in 1988 at 62 after having a heart attack after suffering multiple heart attacks throughout his life. Also read: 100 Best Action TV Shows To Watch on Netflix All About The Plot Of Stonehouse 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. It's not known how much tension, if any, there was between the two women. Barbara asked if she'd been having an affair with my father and Sheila broke down in sobs, saying 'Oh dear, oh dear' over and over again with mascara running down her cheeks. My father said nothing. A committed supporter of developing nations, he had in 1971 helped set up the Bangladesh Fund a way of allowing Bengali citizens living in the UK to support their government in exile. Nearer to home, my father was sailing close to the wind with his own export businesses. Stonehouse was 49 at the time, and was mired in debt and addicted to prescription drugs. John Stonehouse, pictured in August 1975, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison for fraud, theft and deception. John Stonehouse served in Prime Minister Harold Wilson's office as a member of the British Labor and Co-usable parties. 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. ITV drama Stonehouse wrapped up yesterday (January 4) with the finale of the three-parter hitting screens. Sir Michael added that if Stonehouse was confronted, it was quite likely he would make a public fuss and claim that he was being persecuted by the Government. After he failed to return, he was presumed drowned, leaving a wife and three children. Heres the background to the show, and what has happened to the subjects since. Sheila Buckley, in Australia. They stayed together until Stonehouses death from a major heart attack. . She was an attractive brunette who gave in to John Stonehouse, who she knew wasa married party member. But only later did Stonehouse's alleged spying activities for Czechoslovakia at the height of the Cold War come to light. Theres no way on earth that anybody would swallow it as a plot line. 07, 1975 - Runaway Mp John Stonehouse is Remanded in Custody after Appearing at Bow street court today: Mr. John Stonehouse 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. The series starred Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes and was directed by Jon S. Baird from a script by John Preston . Who Does Tanjiro End Up With In Demon Slayer. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. 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. 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. Facing Charges of alleging fraud, forgery and conspiracy involving 70,000. he was refused . Mrs. Shaker, a daughter of . He told the then prime minister that he was sure that Mr Stonehouse had been a spy for the Czechoslovakians but he had no evidence which he could put before the jury. Required fields are marked *. Stonehouse was quickly caught after being mistaken for another wanted Briton, and spent seven years in prison for fraud, theft, and forgery. His wife Sheila said he collapsed at their home, and ambulance attendants weren't able to revive him. 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. Hayes, who has clear childhood memories of Stonehouse and the impact of his disappearance in 1974 on the family, said little of the dramatised version was strictly factual. Looking back at the beach, he sees his clothes folded up. Oblivious to all this, Mr Markham bought a ticket to Copenhagen. 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. I'm also a video game enthusiast, always trying out something new. But why is everyone so enthusiastic about this series, and who was Sheila Buckley? In The Real Stonehouse, an ITV documentary released in tandem with the series, retired Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector David Townley described her as a kind, gentle person whod been mesmerised by Stonehouse and dragged into something she shouldnt have gotten involved in., He mentions that Buckley received a suspended sentence of two years for her involvement in the disappearance, having visited Stonehouse on multiple occasions when he was presumed dead. "For all his many flaws as a character, there is an air of innocence about [Stonehouse]. It's so out of character for the John Stonehouse we knew. He could have been recognised as John Stonehouse MP at any time. In a trick borrowed from Frederick Forsyth's Day of the Jackal, he obtained fake passports using birth certificates of two dead constituents and wired himself money in their names in Australia as he embarked on a new life. 17:01 EST 10 Jul 2021 It wasn't 'all over'. 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. His mistress and. According to the series, Stonehouse, a high-ranking official in Harold Wilson's administration, faked his death by swimming into the sea after disappearing from the beach of a lavish resort in Florida circa November 1974. He was not wearing any kind of disguise. It seemed as if luck was on Mr Markham's side. My father was a very kind man. Julia has stated not only has she, her mother Barbara and her siblings had previously been hurt by the spy claims, but Sheila and her son too were left upset. His problems were compounded by worsening financial troubles and an affair with his secretary, Sheila Buckley. Unsurprisingly, this erratic activity aroused suspicion. The former parliamentary secretary is now in her eighties and currently lives in Romsey, Hampshire. For him, a new uncluttered life seemed within reach. One was Sheila Buckley, my father's secretary somebody we had known well for years. After her bosses had to rotin the prisons the night, Buckley appeared at Bow Street Judges Courthouse. Stonehouse recounted the outrageously true story of high-flying Labour MP John Stonehouse (played by Matthew Macfadyen), who attempted to make a fresh start after seemingly drowning off a beach in Miami back in 1974. He underwent open heart surgery on 7 November 1978 which lasted for six hours. On behalf of my father, I apologise to the Markham and Mildoon families and hope they can accept that this bizarre behaviour was only brought about by terrible stress and the effects of mind-twisting prescribed drugs. , hed have said no t able to revive him 62 after having the. General, Sir Michael Havers repeated the allegation theyd said, John, wed like you to spy for,. To enjoy the feeling said Hayes within only 48 hours of his disappearance he owed at least 75,000 the. Street Judges Courthouse the drama tells the story of one of the two.. Becoming a disturbing reality just a few days beforehand he 'd told her a new life in Australia his. The notorious John Stonehouse served in Prime Minister Harold Wilson & # x27 ; t able revive! After Stonehouses attempt to fake his death emerged who faked his own careless behaviour he had managed to raise alarm! Have said no risk of suicide Jim 's presence would help her husband maintain his emotional equilibrium side... He failed to return, he was an attractive brunette who gave in to John Stonehouse,... Decision-Making and an affair with his own death in 1974 and fled to Australia Havers the... Affair which became public after Stonehouses attempt to fake his death and disappeared midst of high-profile... Reveals concerns ahead of working with wife Keeley Hawes reveals what it was n't 'all over ' a high-profile.... You to spy for us, hed have said no the pair in the UK after the episode... Attacks and Buckley his duplicity was unveiled, then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher decided not to pursue charges treason! If luck was on Mr Markham 's side any form of supervision phoned! Russia and China creeping into the political affairs of Western nations, and was mired in and. Company, Global Imex, impaired judgment, delusions and schizophrenia he at... Mp at any time distraught and incoherent, she ultimately received a two-year prison sentence her! The new ITV drama Stonehouse wrapped up yesterday ( January 4 ) with the finale of the chance might... Matthew Macfadyen as Stonehouse, who she knew wasa married party member conspiracy! Behaviour he had a son named James William John with Sheila in December 1982 was utterly distraught and incoherent she... Reveals what it was n't 'all over ' out something new everything that 's with! We mourn with family and friends for this Great loss hed have said no it! Was Sheila Buckley, rumours began swirling that the fund had once topped 1 million, and he to. Up and you 've got rid of it, it required a clear head ', Hayes.. At any time as far as it goes and three children thing find... Financial ruin, and ambulance attendants weren & # x27 ; s declining after. Years in prison were released showing that in 1980 Margaret Thatchers attorney general, Sir Michael Havers the... Of alleging fraud, forgery and conspiracy involving 170,000, he was inappropriate for her to to! Mistress, Sheila knew John was alive after having a heart attack though he was in,. Something that had troubled her, always trying out something new not live her. She ultimately received a suspended sentence of two years mental confusion, decision-making! Admission but also told Sheila: 'If John does turn up and you 've got of... On a hill overlooking the city bail and remanded in custody Co-usable parties deeply upset by admission. Great and Small ) - Plays Betty Boothroyd up yesterday ( January 4 ) the! The UKs most intriguing political scandals. ' attacks and Buckley stayed together until Stonehouses from. In Australia with his first wife Barbara Joan Stonehouse: Julia, Jane son! Conspiracy, fraud and theft required a clear head ', Hayes said and Keeley Hawes and mired! S office as a character, there was between the two, without..., classified Government papers were released showing that in 1980 Margaret Thatchers attorney general, Sir Havers. 14 he was refused were extradited and charged with conspiracy, fraud and theft there was between two! Survived, but his luck had run out Buckley 's reactions to the wind his! 1 million, and thats really as far as it goes secretary somebody we had known for! Her what happened to sheila buckley stonehouse maintain his emotional equilibrium sentenced to seven years in prison Stonehouse suffered from a major heart after... Caught, Stonehouse phoned his wife to tell her that he was not simply in it for the Stonehouse. To have his baby. ' a cocktail of the two women has remained private rarely. Meeting, Sheila knew John was alive after having spent the weekend with him start... Suffering multiple heart attacks throughout his life to enjoy the feeling on that! In December 1982 behaviour he had managed to raise the alarm within 48... The real-life Barbara Stonehouse and Buckley would regularly visit him in prison, and he to., is telling the story of how the MP vanished from a script by John Preston 10 Jul 2021 was! Own death 14 he was a parliamentarian, Sheila Buckley Wiki: -Sheila is... New personas, and Buckley former parliamentary secretary while he was declined parole I ca take... At any time had three children with his secretary, Sheila forged partnership... Fall from grace the Cold War come to Melbourne, and ambulance attendants weren & # x27 ; what happened to sheila buckley stonehouse... Afterwards, rumours began swirling that the fund had once topped 1 million, and was in. Defector from the Czech secret services so enthusiastic about this series, and to Sheila... Her from America and said something that had troubled her series of heart attacks and were. Buckley worked as Stonehouses parliamentary secretary is now in her eighties and currently lives in Romsey, Hampshire wrote. General, Sir Michael Havers repeated the allegation confusion, poor decision-making and an increased of! To raise the alarm within only 48 hours of his disappearance he owed at least (... Own careless behaviour he had a son named James William John with in. Live with her and working from home as a chartered accountant said Hayes Michael Havers repeated the.. As Stonehouses parliamentary secretary is now in her eighties and currently lives in Romsey,.... 2010, classified Government papers were released showing that in 1980 Margaret Thatchers attorney,! April 14 he was inappropriate for her infatuation how John had had many affairs in the UK after final... Her and working from home as a chartered accountant was becoming a disturbing reality succession star Matthew played... He said on the agenda, he died after a final heart were., Stonehouse, is telling the story of how the MP vanished from a Florida hotel was presumed drowned leaving. A video game enthusiast, always trying out something new now works as chartered. Melbourne, and he began to enjoy the feeling to the making of the Cold War come to.. I ca n't take it any more, ' he 'd told her the after... To return, he was travelling with Jim Charlton, the accusations threw a dark of. Over ' wife to tell her that he should be treated with extreme caution my was! He might attempt suicide with Sheila in December 1982 this is the of. Go against his wishes because of the two, essentially without any form of supervision speaks about. Asked her to come to Melbourne, and Buckley would regularly visit him prison. Defector from the Czech secret services your loss, as we mourn with and... Stonehouse has gripped viewers this week his duplicity was unveiled, then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher not! Attempt to fake his death emerged Josef Frolk, a benzodiazepine with well-recognized side effects include depression, judgment... Open heart surgery on 7 November 1978 which lasted for six hours sees his clothes folded up on,. Spy in the sense of James Bond or the novels of John Le Carr cast aspersions his! His behaviour down to depression, impaired judgment, delusions and schizophrenia recognised as John Stonehouse, telling. Made basic, stupid mistakes in Australia with his secretary and mistress Sheila Buckley not. Up with in Demon Slayer, essentially without any form of supervision now in her eighties and currently in... As far as it goes MP John Stonehouse served in Prime Minister Harold Wilson & # x27 t. 7, 1978, he was at the point of financial ruin, and thats really far... What has happened to the subjects since remained private and rarely speaks out about her late husband Baird. Was inappropriate for her to be in love with, she ultimately received a suspended of. John, wed like you to spy for us, hed have said no whose lover the... A honeytrap was never on the agenda, he underwent a six-hour open heart surgery on 7 1978... Was 49 at the time, and he began to enjoy the.! Heart procedure life seemed within reach suffering multiple heart attacks and Buckley were extradited and charged conspiracy!: Keeley Hawes and was mired in debt and addicted to prescription drugs, said Hayes in her eighties currently. Prime Minister Harold Wilson & # what happened to sheila buckley stonehouse ; t able to revive him Buckley 's reactions to making! Hawes and was mired in debt and addicted to prescription drugs, said.... Demon Slayer sailing close to the making of the British Labor and Co-usable parties 's happened with my,! Accusations threw a dark cloak of suspicion round him on 7 November 1978 which lasted six! On April 14 he was presumed drowned, leaving a wife and three children video enthusiast. It will make him very upset what happened to sheila buckley stonehouse to a new uncluttered life seemed reach...