Gemma McCluskie’s EastEnders role and tragic d.e.a.t.h explained as new ITV doc airs
Former EastEnders star Gemma McCluskie was m.u.r.d.e.r.e.d by her brother Tony McCluskie in 2012 and her tragic story is now the subject of an ITV documentary
It’s a story that could be ripped straight from an EastEnders plotline, but tragically, the chilling tale of BBC soap star Gemma McCluskie’s m.u.r.d.e.r is all too real. The heartbreaking saga is now being explored in ITV’s new true crime documentary, M.u.r.d.e.r in the Family: True Crime Presents.
Born in Shoreditch, London, on February 5, 1983, Gemma went on to become an actress, starring in children’s series No Sweat before landing her role as Kerry Skinner in EastEnders. She played Ethel Skinner’s great-niece from 2000 to 2001 and was romantically linked with Robbie Jackson, portrayed by Dean Gaffney.
However, Gemma’s life was tragically cut short when she was brutally m.u.r.d.e.r.e.d by her own brother, Tony McCluskie, on March 1, 2012. Then aged 35, McCluskie killed his sister during a dispute over an overflowing bath in their shared Shoreditch flat.
Initially treated as a missing person’s case after her killer reported her disappearance, Gemma’s torso was discovered stuffed in a suitcase in Regent’s Canal five days later by a member of the public sailing a barge.
Tony McCluskie was subsequently arrested on suspicion of m.u.r.d.e.r, and a search of their flat revealed drops of blood in the bathroom and kitchen, along with a missing knife, reports Plymouth Live.
CCTV footage from the day Gemma disappeared showed Tony McCluskie hauling a hefty suitcase into a taxi. During his 2013 trial at the Old Bailey, he finally confessed to killing his sister.
However, he claimed he had no recollection of the act and alleged that she had assaulted him first. Despite his admission of manslaughter, the jury found him guilty of m.u.r.d.e.r with an 11 to 1 majority verdict.
The window cleaner was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.
M.u.r.d.e.r in the Family: True Crime Presents featuring Gemma McCluskie’s story is on ITV1 on Friday, March 7 at 9pm. It will also be available to stream at a later date on ITVX along with previous episodes
