At the time of the accident James Knight had been relaxing at their rented villa, so he was able to give Newlove little information. She was at a peak in her career, following the release of an acclaimed new album, and tributes poured in from showbusiness colleagues, friends and fans obituaries stressed not only her unusually wide-ranging gifts as a singer and lyricist, but also her warm, unpretentious, outspoken nature, which made her a controversial and much-loved figure in the music business. The death of Kirsty MacColl at 41 made world headlines. At first he was incapable of speech after a long pause he choked out the words, “Jean, there’s been an accident. It was MacColl’s partner, the musician James Knight, who had also gone on the trip to Mexico. On the night of Monday December 18, two days before MacColl was due to return, Newlove had just arrived home from the Old Vic and was making tea when the telephone rang. I said, ‘I love you,’ as she walked away, and without looking back she called, ‘And I love you.’” That was the last time Jean Newlove spoke to her daughter. There were mince pies to make, presents to wrap, the tree to put up,” Newlove recalls. “She made out a list of groceries for me to buy. They had to make plans for Christmas, which the family would, as usual, spend with friends at MacColl’s house.

On Sunday December 10, the evening before their departure, Kirsty MacColl’s mother, Jean Newlove, a choreographer and teacher, dropped by for supper. This trip, her third, would be especially enjoyable since she planned to introduce her sons, Jamie, 15, and Louis, 13, to scuba diving. Passionate about water sports, she chose Cozumel. In December 2000, after 18 months of uninterrupted work, Kirsty MacColl needed a break. Among these was the English pop star and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, who, like many celebrities, enjoyed the island’s laid back atmosphere. It is ranked among the world’s top five diving destinations, attracting thousands of visitors annually. Its spectacular coral reef chain, the second largest in the world, forms the core of one of the most richly diverse ecosystems on the planet. Twelve miles off the Yucatan peninsula, the island of Cozumel, part of the state of Quintana Roo, is known as Mexico’s crown jewel. Years later, her mother is fighting for the man whose boat crashed into her to be brought to justice. The death of the singer Kirsty MacColl in a diving accident off the coast of Mexico made shocking headlines around the world.

Deep sea tycoon death