Marriage Mystery

While gay and lesbian couples celebrate in Canberra today, mystery surrounds the second marriage of the French charmer Alexandre Despallieres, announced via his Twitter feed as our picture shows.

French police are still investigating circumstances surrounding the death of Despallieres' first husband , the popular Australian music identity Peter Ikin who plunged down a staircase in a French hotel. Despallieres successfully gained probate over Ikin's $20M will and promptly moved into his London house in Chelsea, purchasing 2 Porsche cars for two male friends. Ikin's only relative, a Melbourne based Catholic priest got the will overturned although Despallieres received what is rumoured to be a $200,000 settlement.

Enter rock managers and Ikin pals John Reid, Elton John's former manager and Rod Stewart manager Billy Gaff who pressured French police to investigate the circumstances of Ikin's death. That investigation is ongoing while Despallieres remains on bail in France.
In March this year Despallieres' high profile lawyer Oliver Metzner was found dead from an apparent suicide.
No news yet on who his new husband is but he looks older than the ageless Depallieres, as was Ikin.
 To be continued .... 
left : in happier days : John Reid, Despallieres &Peter Ikin 

Sir Elton John's manager dons Miss Marple garb over mystery death

Friends and family of the late record company executive Peter Ikin who died in November 2008 aged 62, are still asking questions about the manner of his death. Ikin, a much loved music industry figure who was the boss of Warner's Music Australia passed away after a fall down some stairs in his Paris hotel and after marrying his French lover Alexandre Despallieres in a civil ceremony the previous month at the Chelsea Town Hall in London. Ikin had retired in 2000 after a stint as VP at the London HQ of Warner's Music.

Despallieres produced a new will reputedly signed by Ikin in August of that year and witnessed by Despallieres' assistant Jeremy Billien and another friend Vincent Bray, leaving Ikin's $20million fortune to his new husband. After getting probate granted in England, Despallieres' had Ikin's body cremated and set about spending over $2 million from Ikin's Channel Island's bank account, purchasing 3 Porches-one for himself and one each for  Billien and Bray.

actor Simon Burke, John Reid and Peter Ikin

London's High Court overturned that will after a previous one was produced by Ikin's lawyer, signed in 2002 which left his estate to charities, his godchildren and only living relative, a Catholic priest in Sydney. An out of court settlement was reached in which Despallieres is said to have received a million dollars.  Despallieres also agreed to move out of  Ikin's Chelsea apartment.

It's claimed that Despallieres has said in the past he was suffering from brain cancer and is HIV, hence Ikin's rush to marry him and make a new will.

Ikin was well liked and friendly with many pop stars like Elton John and Rod Stewart. John Mellancamp said of Ikin ; "he was always kind, and jovial and a pleasure to be with. I have thought and spoke of Peter often. He was my introduction to the music business"

Now former rock manager John Reid, a friend of Ikin's and who guided the careers of Elton John, Freddie Mercury and Queen and the dancer Michael Flatley wants some answers. Reid has hired a French lawyer who has petitioned the French coroner for a toxicology report into Ikin's sudden death. French police have opened a file and are investigating after it was found there were deadly levels of paracetamol in Ikin's blood when he died.

Billy Gaff wants fraud charges

And another tough-minded Scot Billy Gaff, the ex-manager of Rod Stewart is pursuing Despallieres for $500,000 he said he lent the Frenchmen whilst he was waiting for probate to be granted on Ikin's will . Gaff said he "came under Despallieres' spell when he said he was a French pop star". Gaff wants fraud charges laid against Despallieres.
He may have to get in the queue. At a recent memorial service for Ikin in Sydney  there was much muttering from Ikin's distraught friends in the music business about issuing  legal claims against Despallieres. It seems Reid has fired the first shot.

Hugh Jackman film shock ! bestiality, sodomy, violence, rape and children

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     Next year Federal Communication's Minister Stephen Conroy intends to introduce net nanny filtering to protect vunerable Aussies and to bring the country into line with those other bastions of democracy-Iran, Burma, China, Uzbekistan and errr, that's it. Every subject covered in this vid will come under the filter.

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The mighty world-wide News Ltd empire today brings news of a tale blogged by tSS over 6 weeks ago as Alexandre Despallieres (left) the French "husband", or widow(er) of Warners Music identity Australian Peter Ikin who tragically died a year ago, faces a London court over a dispute concerning Ikin's $20M estate.

       Despallieres must possess classic French charm as he is also being hauled through the High Court by  Rod Stewart's manager Billy Gaff over a million pound dispute. Gaff is no fool and it's been a few decades since anyone was able to pull the wool over Gaff's eyes but he claims he fell under Despallieres' spell.

## update : The Sydney Morning Herald's Andrew Hornery reports  Despallieres was granted £500,000 after reaching  an out of court settlement with lawyers with Ikin's original beneficeries to split the remainder of the $20M estate. The Frenchman still has to face Billy Gaff in a London court over Gaff's claim for $1M.

a mystery deepens..

As the founder of Warner Music Australia, Peter Ikin was loved and respected by artists like Elton John, Billy Joel and Rod Stewart.
But when the popular music and record company identity died suddenly a year ago in a Paris hotel, friends were not only distressed but mystified upon hearing he had wed a former boyfriend, Frenchman Alexandre Despallieres in a civil ceremony just weeks before.

A greater shock was to come-Ikin had left his multi-million dollar fortune to Despallieres but not before emailing friends and a relative, nephew Father Gary Perritt that he was becoming increasingly wary of his new partner. According to Perritt, Despalliere had told Ikin he was now a dot com millionaire and was dying slowly from a mystery illness and convinced Ikin they should make each other beneficiaries of their respective wills. As Ikin's executor, Despalliere had Peter's body cremated shortly after an autopsy had been conducted in Paris. The gossip amongst friends is that Ikin's death was preceded by a fall down some stairs. Despallieres returned immediately to London after the cremation and ensconced himself in Peter's luxury Chelsea house.

Now Despallieres is facing London's High Court this Monday accused of fraud by Rod Stewart's former manager Billy Gaff who claims he was duped in a business deal. Questions are still being asked over the sketchy details of Ikin's sudden death and Despallieres puzzling actions, as reported in today's SMH 'PS' column by Andrew Hornery. Despallieres purchased 3 Porsche cars immediately following the cremation. One for himself and one each for the 2 men who had witnessed Ikin's will.