Gemma McCluskie

Gemma Rose Veronica McCluskie was a British television actress. She was a regular cast member in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in which she played Kerry Skinner. In March 2012, McCluskie disappeared from her home in East London; a few days later, her body was discovered in the Regent's Canal. Her brother, Tony McCluskie, was subsequently found guilty of her murder. Career: McCluskie's best-known role was Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which she played for a year (2000–2001). In the show, McCluskie's character was a close friend of Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) and the great-niece of Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin). She also had a part in the series No Sweat, playing a bully named Janis. Disappearance and death: McCluskie went missing from her East London flat, where she lived with her brother Tony, on 1 March 2012. She was seen at home with her brother that afternoon, and a subsequent investigation found that she had entered a kebab shop around 8 pm. Former EastEnders actresses Martine McCutcheon, Brooke Kinsella, and Natalie Cassidy tweeted about her disappearance in hopes of getting information about her whereabouts; the Twitter hashtag "#FindGemma" was used. A search party of 100 people was organised by McCluskie's cousins on 5 March, which spread out from the east and south of London, attempting to discover information related to McCluskie's disappearance. The headless torso of a woman was recovered from Regent's Canal in Hackney on 6 March. On 9 March, the police announced that the body had been formally identified as McCluskie. On 10 March, a 35-year-old male was formally charged with her murder. He appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on Monday, 12 March and a preliminary hearing was set for 26 March at the Old Bailey. He did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody; the suspect would later be identified as her brother, Tony McCluskie. On 10 September, police found a head in the same stretch of canal. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the head was McCluskie's two days later. On 28 September, Tony McCluskie accepted responsibility for the death of the actress. McCluskie's funeral was then held on 30 November at St. Monica's Church, Hoxton Square, East London. Trial and sentence of brother: The trial began on 14 January 2013 at the Old Bailey. During the trial, it was reported that Tony McCluskie was a heavy cannabis user and that the siblings frequently argued. On 1 March 2012, Tony was alleged to have argued with Gemma about an overflowing bath. Gemma told him to leave, and he then grabbed her by the wrists and punched her to the floor, but claimed he had no further recollection of his actions. Her death was caused by several blows to the head with a blunt instrument. Tony then spent several hours dismembering her body. CCTV footage showed Tony carrying a suitcase the next day; the suitcase contained her remains, which Tony disposed of in Regent's Canal. Tony McCluskie initially admitted manslaughter, but denied murder, citing a "loss of control". He was found guilty of her murder on 30 January 2013 and jailed for life with a minimum sentence of 20 years.