Postscriptum by †Seán Manchester

I have never thought for a moment, as claimed by Jamie, that his father "isn't even dead." Indeed, it took some convincing me that he was alive long before the Grim Reaper finally came to fetch him.

Neither do I subscribe to the notion, as some do, that he faked his own death. I have toyed with the possibility that "Della" did something with the remains that circumvented any record being found of the cremation (which so far seems to be the case), and thereby any death certificate also being located.

Records can be misleading. They are determined by whomever writes whatever it is on the form of registration. Either parent can register the birth, and this requires only one form of identification. Back in the 1960s, illegitimacy carried far more of a stigma than it does today. Things were put on forms that were not necessarily true. Divorces, too, were frequently arranged, and, despite either the father or mother not being a biological parent, children would often be attributed with a false legitimacy.

We find a record of David Robert Donovan Farrant being born in March [sic], it was actually January, 1946 in West Ham, Essex. Records have him siring twice, once with one wife and once with another.

Jamie is the only son he sired, and that was in November 1967. This was with his first wife, Mary.

"He sees fit to challenge the parentage of David’s youngest son (who looks just like him and whose birth certificate accurately records David and his first wife as parents)" — "Della" (31 May 2020)

Danny's birth certificate falsely records David Farrant as his father, while accurately recording Mary Farrant as his mother. As already stated, either parent can register a birth and whomever does it can attribute the parentage, to avoid illegitimacy of the child, how they wish. Few would be much bothered today by such things, but back then it was very different. There is another reason for Danny being Jamie's half-brother, and that is the fact that Mary Farrant conceived him with someone she had run off with some months after her marriage in 1967. I speak from personal knowledge of the situation. The man she ran off with worked, albeit part-time, at my photographic studio. I didn't know Mary, but had previously glimpsed her working as a barmaid in The Woodman, Highgate, before she turned up on my doorstep with newly born Jamie in her arms, accompanied by my soon-to-be ex-employee. This would be the only time I would ever come into contact with Jamie. What they basically wanted was to stay overnight before taking off for the West country. I felt I could not facilitate what was going on, and my girlfriend was certainly unsympathetic. Thus I refused. They went off with their tales between their legs. This did not stop them fulfilling their plan to live in Devon, which they did for quite a number of months. It was during this period that Mary became pregnant with Danny. When they all returned to London in the summer of 1968 for whatever reason,  possibly the money ran out, Mary and Jamie stayed briefly with David Farrant at the Highgate flat. She gave birth to Danny and settled, initially with her parents, in Southampton, Hampshire, remarrying again and becoming Mary Coster.

David Farrant was evicted from the flat, having been declared bankrupt, in August 1968. He had inherited some money and a small business from his father earlier that year. It was now all gone. The man who had cuckolded him and sired Danny with Mary in a remarkable turn of events offered Farrant his coal cellar as somewhere to live, and for the next twelve months that is where he resided.

My ex-employee never returned to work for me at the studio, and a schism between us over the Farrant affair left an icy distance between us that has never thawed. David Farrant, some years later in a private conversation, acknowledged my refusal to become complicit in his wife's behaviour, but did not feel it merited any gratitude. Curiously, his enmity toward the man who cuckolded him, the man who is the biological father of Danny, was scarcely evident. They remained on friendly terms for years to come. This relationship dimmed, however, and eventually flickered out, but there was no public evidence of any antipathy. In private? Who knows? I am now on speaking terms with my ex-employee, and there is a civilised, albeit infrequent, communication between us. He acknowledges that he is Danny's biological father, and can't see what all the fuss is about. I would have preferred a more civilised communication between Farrant and I developing, but things only got worse. There were moments in the 1970s when I felt the deterioration between him and I might have been reversed. I was proved wrong. Things merely went from bad to worse. I realise that my Christian beliefs were the stumbling block. There was an occasion when I was having a cup of tea in a café opposite Barnet Magistrates' Court in November 1972 when he and Victoria Jervis, who had just been found guilty of indecency in Monken Hadley churchyard, drifted in and joined me. It would be difficult and strange for people today to understand how that might be possible, as I had only minutes' prior challenged him on the court steps to a test of his alleged "powers" before independent witnesses for which a date would eventually be set, but he failed to appear. There was still a code of conduct that no longer exists. During our brief sit-down in that small café, he made clear how antipathetic he felt toward Christianity. We were otherwise courteous to each other. Only Victoria Jervis showed signs of anxiety and nervousness. She would later have a nervous breakdown due to the outcome of the trial. My spiritual allegiance was a bar to that trust required of friendship. Hence we never were friends. No such bar existed with my ex-employee who admired Aleister Crowley, and then became an atheist.

All this occurred a decade or more before Farrant met his second wife. "Della" was yet to be born.

I would posit that the other child with his second wife, Colette, is in all likelihood to be identified as the secretive "Della" who would have been the right age, looks the spitting image of Colette, and has many of her traits. Moreover, "Della" has been extremely careful to hide her face from public view.

Farrant's father, also called Robert Donovan, could have registered the birth of his son in West Ham, Essex. His father married again after the death of his first wife (when Farrant was thirteen), and this caused further complications. There is also a half-brother called Robert who was a pop-singer and performer. Farrant never met him, but acknowledged his existence. Robert featured in musical theatre productions, playing the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar in the same year his half-brother, David, was receiving maximum notoriety in the newspapers as a representative of Lucifer and the black arts.

"David does not have a half brother called Robert who once played the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar! Someone asked me about this today. The actor of that name is from a completely unrelated Farrant family who did happen to live in the Hornsey area in the 1970s. Bobby Shafto (stagename) is alive and well and not remotely connected to David Farrant. What next??? I’ll tell you what next. He’ll be saying I buried David in the back garden." — "Della" (31 May 2020)

The only possible way I can address the anomaly of there being no record of cremation and no birth certificate is that David Robert Donovan Farrant's death was registered in another name. When I first knew him half a century ago, he travelled using two passports, one in the name of David Robert Donovan Farrant, the other in the name of Allan Aden Ellson. He never explained why he felt the need to do so, but he did it nonetheless. He was no stranger to nom de plumes, and I very much suspect one was employed when his death certificate was signed, and when he was cremated last year.

This, at least, would go some way to unraveling the puzzle. The sulphurous trail of such enigmas seemed to bedevil the man throughout his entire life; now, too, his son and daughter in like manner.

"I've obviously got David's birth, marriage and death certificates, his old passports, all the info, ashes / plot reference number and all."  — "Della" (31 May 2020)

"David’s death was legally registered, and his body was legally cremated, under his legal name. Allegations have been made that both these processes were overseen by myself having used a fake name for David – which is pure nonsense." — "Della" (31 May 2020)

†Seán Manchester Sets the Record Straight

Jamie Coster of Southampton emerged on social media ten years ago using the tag chatty gef.

A female calling herself various names (sometimes Anna Hinton, sometimes Della Vallicrus), among a raft of other pseudonyms, emerged on social media at precisely the same time as Jamie Coster. She, too, evinced more than a passing interest in a mongoose called Gef, and claimed to be haunted by it.

We are expected to believe that they were yet to become acquainted; despite one obsessing about a talking mongoose, and the other employing chatty gef as his online tag, and e-mail address nickname. They were both disingenuously looking for a man called David Farrant who advertised his contact e-mail, telephone number and London Muswell Hill home address on his website. It would have taken all of three minutes. Jamie had not had personal contact with David Farrant for over four decades, and when he decided to speak to his father for the first time, he needed little persuasion to carry on the legacy of enmity toward myself. Ditto "Della" when she "joined forces" with Jamie Coster.

The first time David Farrant saw his son, Jamie, born 9 November 1967, since his wife, Mary, departed from London to live in Southampton in August 1969, never to return save for an appearance at the Old Bailey in the summer of 1974 due to a subpoena issued by her estranged husband, was in 2010. Jamie's half-brother, Daniel J Coster, had no contact with David Farrant who only saw him briefly as a new born baby in 1968. David Farrant's first wife was Mary Coster (previously Farrant née Olden). After they divorced, he married his second wife, Colette Gee aka Colette Sully at Wood Green Registry Office on 21 June 1979. Colette was complicit in much of her husband's black arts, and assorted vendettas. She notoriously appeared naked during a videoed Luciferian ceremony at their Muswell Hill Road home. They divorced after a short marriage. David Farrant did not remarry despite "Della" claiming to be his legitimate third wife. She adopted the style "Mrs Della Farrant."

Jamie Farrant, a resident of Southampton, dropped his surname "Coster" after meeting his biological father in 2010. Within weeks of meeting David Farrant, Jamie was calling himself "Jamie Farrant."

"Della" also wrote the following in her tribute:

"David had various framed images on the wall of the room where he spent the last weeks of his life, all of an occult nature – which Jamie helpfully  put up. Some of these you will all be familiar with from the many videos which were filmed at the flat David and I shared in Muswell Hill. It seems that a member of nursing staff (who had grown up in a part of the  world where spirits and witchdoctors are greatly feared) took exception to these images, and found out more than a little about his reputation.  So much so that within half an hour of David’s passing I came under an  extraordinary amount of pressure from her to arrange for him to be  ‘taken away’ – as soon as possible. Not when the sun rose – but  IMMEDIATELY! The member of staff’s fears were entirely supernatural in origin. It turned out that she was terrified of his living presence – but his mortal remains sent her paranoia through the roof." — "Della Farrant" (9 April 2020)

This, along with a black hole of information, and the absence of any records, led to all the speculation.

All roads, therefore, lead to the mercurial "Della" about whom most people know precious little.

“Della Maria Vallicrus” aka “Della Escarti” aka “Della Farrant,” for someone claiming to be the young girlfriend (and, since Hallowe’en 2011, wife) of a man born in January 1946 who immersed himself in the outer trappings of the dark arts, has flitted from being “Roman Catholic” to someone obsessed with magical rituals, shamanism, witchcraft and the occult. She used images of a young Shakira as her own until she was rumbled. Then she occasioned upon Christine Moloney with whom Farrant was loosely acquainted. Christine and “Della” have a similar build, are the same age and claim to have been married on precisely the same day (but to different people). Christine and “Della” apparently design websites, dabble with interior design and have CVs that are practically identical.

Christine and “Della” claim to come from the exclusive Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Christine and “Della” claim to have Roman Catholic origins which they each cling onto in a heretical way. Christine and “Della” show a strong interest in witchcraft, the occult, Freemasonry and ceremonial magic. Christine and “Della” have each engaged in Farrant-inspired enmity toward me.

One might be forgiven for thinking that they are one and the same person. However, they are not. One of them, Christine, is real enough. The other adopts people's personas, even their CVs and interests. "Della" does not live in Kensington and never has. She lives in penurious circumstances.

Christine                                           "Della"

Journalist Sam Volpe stated in the Hampstead & Highgate Express, 24 April 2019, that "Della" is David Farrant's second wife, which would make her Colette Sully whom it has been suggested by numerous people is, in fact, the person who gave birth to "Della." Hence the latter not wanting to be easily identified by wearing large sunglasses or full face masks. Their is a strong resemblance between them, and, of course, Colette was thoroughly immersed in the dark arts and Luciferianism.

"Della" allegedly ventured through the snow on 21 December 2010 to spend some of her time with David Farrant at his bedsit in London's Muswell Hill Road. Now in his seventies, Farrant described "Della" as "a very attractive lady aged about 30 with intent brown eyes, and dark hair that flowed down her back," adding, "I knew she’d been touch with certain people." Whoever these people are with whom she had been in touch, it certainly wasn't me or anyone known to me because she supposedly instantly recoiled at the very idea of meeting me and became extremely defensive. Her claims of impartiality and being a Roman Catholic had attracted the attention of someone who was less than convinced. Within a matter of days after visiting David Farrant for allegedly the first time, she was attacking me on public forums, and accepting the word of a biased individual above all else. Prior to around Hallowe'en 2010, when she began commenting on the Supernatural World forum, however, absolutely nobody had ever heard of "Della Vallicrus." It was, like so much else, invented.

"Della" liked to remind everyone of her supposed "Roman Catholic" credentials. She appeared on the surface to paint a picture of herself as being traditionally Roman Catholic. She is anything but traditionalist, or indeed a Catholic. Heresy is constantly on her lips, as will be revealed, and, despite giving her religion as "Roman Catholic" on Facebook, she does not have a single Roman Catholic Facebook friend. In fact, none of her friends are Christian of any of denomination. Farrant and his Facebook friends made up the majority of them, and her declared interests, along with more general topics, embrace "Kabbalah, Judaism, Mediumship, Psychology, Ghosts and the Paranormal." This should come as no surprise to anyone who guesses the true identity of "Della Farrant," or, at least, the person adopting that persona in photographs where she is careful to keep her back to the camera so her face cannot be seen when not wearing a full face mask with full-length fancy dress costume. 

So who is this person who "listened sympathetically when she realised things were not quite as they had been portrayed by some others claiming to have had an interest in that case." That "case" being Farrant's personal obsession out of which he had succeeded in carving a notoriety based on nothing more than exploiting my investigation into the supernatural, and my subsequent book when the case was eventually closed. Ten days after meeting Farrant in person, "Della" visited him again on 31 December 2010. Her interest on this occasion was his claim to be involved in the dark occult. 

"This time she brought round some very intriguing letters and photographs relating to the Black Magical activities that took place in and around Highgate and other nearby parts of north London spanning over a ten year period from the late 1960s onwards." She unsurprisingly overlooks mention of the fact that he was charged and convicted at the Old Bailey for black magic activities in and around Highgate Cemetery. Farrant continues: "One particular thing that concerned her was her set of photographs relating to HC taken in 1971. We spent some time discussing the meaning of various glyphs and symbols, and their significance – as well as the identities of other people that she felt were definately connected with the use of Highgate Cemetery at the time. One of these people apparently was also making ‘nocturnal visits’ to Kensal Green cemetery in North London, with his friend who was by profession a taxidermist."

By a curious coincidence, 1971 is the year when Farrant claimed (in an article published by New Witchcraft magazine) to have summoned a satanic entity with a naked female assistant from whom he withdrew blood for the purpose of the ritual. This allegedly took place at Highgate Cemetery in September 1971. "Della" apparently asked for Farrant's word that he "would not release any material." Yet he could apparently make mention of the same material on his blog. She was playing Farrant's game, and he was seemingly playing hers. That notwithstanding, the pair of them identified the person they were talking about at a "symposium" over a pub in Highgate in July 2015. The victim of their miserable conspiracy was a chap called Welch who was not a "professional taxidermist" and had nothing but contempt for those engaged in the occult. Neither did he believe in the supernatural.

How could an approximately thirty-year-old London-based female born ten years after the events themselves be privy to "confidential material" which pertains to people and events in the Highgate case? Did "Della," in fact, possess anything of interest or worth? Or was she merely attempting to catch a ride on the coat-tails of people? Many were becoming increasingly aware that this was so.

When "Della" visited Farrant on a third occasion at the end of January 2011 and stayed the night, he was blogging about it before she had barely got out of the door: "She told me little about herself, but I learned that she was from Kensington but recently moved to Knightsbridge, where she now had her own apartment and a good job as an Interior Designer. She was not attached to anyone now, she told me, but like myself, she had encountered the turmoil in one or two past relationships." Once again, Highgate was discussed: "Absorbed in old Press reports we again spoke about the Highgate ‘vampire’ case, and I showed her other articles about other people who claimed that they had been involved. She read many meticulously, and some private letters I showed her about the case which highly amused her." "Della" decided to accept Farrant's offer to stay the night, which he could not restrain himself from publishing on the internet for everyone to read: "She was in bed and although all covered the sheet revealed that she had bare shoulders." Already this is beginning to sound more than a little fraudulent, and well it might. "Della," of course, has never lived in Knightsbridge or Kensington in her life and, according to one person who was in contact with her prior to all this, she lived in circumstances every bit as desperate as Farrant's in a far less than salubrious part of London.

Three weeks earlier on the Supernatural World forum, "Della" attempted to offer an explanation as to how she was in possession of material about matters that occurred well before she was born: 

"This is largely to answer the allegations that I am ‘playing a dangerous game’ – it would be very naïve to assume that with all the people involved in the Highgate situation that there are not children, relatives, friends and partners extant who have knowledge of various aspects of the events that were going on at the time. I am not willing to talk publicly about who I am related to or know in connection with the original events, and why I have a personal interest in the case. If anyone reading this was in my peculiar position, I assure you, you would feel the same."  Certainly relatives! 

"Della" quite obviously was playing a dangerous game; something she acknowledged in her next statement: "The dark side of occult magic underpins any serious discussion about many aspects of what happened back then. By default there are certain matters that it would be dangerous to discuss openly pertaining to this, not least because the people who were most centrally involved may not all still be around, but their successors are still very much active in the ‘field.’ I am referring here specifically to ‘Satanic’ activity focused in the Highgate area and in other areas of the south east of England subsequent to their decision to stop using Highgate Cemetery."

"Della" continued: "There really was no one else I could talk to about this. Certainly not Seán Manchester who is entirely on the periphery of the matters I wanted validating and does not feature heavily. This may give some indication as to the gravity of matters I am referring to." 

Indeed, it does. Yet she can apparently only talk about matters involving black magic outrages at Highgate Cemetery and elsewhere with a man who sought publicity which led to him being branded a black magician by the law courts and the media; a man, moreover, who was imprisoned for black magic crimes which included tomb desecration and vandalism. Among the not insubstantial evidence against Farrant were photographs he had taken of his naked girlfriend, Martine de Sacy, posing in front of satanic markings on the floor of a Highgate mausoleum in 1971. Then there were the black magic effigies sent to police witnesses in another man's case (a self-proclaimed Satanist who was later convicted of sexual assault on a minor); something Farrant did not even try to deny. 

In mid-January, "Della" posted on the Supernatural World forum that she is "someone who has no choice but to believe in reincarnation." This is by no means the first time she has confessed to beliefs which, by her own admission, are heretical not only to Roman Catholics but all Christians.  

Again, on the Supernatural World forum she went on the attack: "I am not interested in being given lectures about my faith by people entirely unqualified to do so, who are also intricately involved with someone who made up their own religion because they chose to pick and choose the parts of Roman Catholicism which did not suit their lifestyle or supposed beliefs." It must, of course, be asked how someone who believes in reincarnation (an essentially Buddhist and Hindu philosophy) is qualified to lecture anyone about Christianity? "Della" quite obviously picks and chooses those bits of various religions and philosophies which suit her, and to appease her belief in spiritualism, witchcraft, paganism and a wide spectrum of other occult beliefs. The practice of any of these is forbidden in scripture by all mainstream Christian churches. But it gets worse, as the facts, or possibly Farrant's fevered imagination, reveal. "Della Vallicrus" invited him to her non-existent "Knightsbridge flat" in February 2011 about which occasion his blog positively explodes with enthusiastic imagination: 

"Her own bedroom was dominated by a large Edwardian brass bed, and another marble fireplace, this one complete with two busts, one of a Greek god adorned with grapes, and another gilt mirror over the mantle." 

It would seem "Della's" pretend home is devoid of anything remotely Christian, much less Catholic. 

Farrant continues: 

"This time she brought things round again to asking me about the potential of some magical ceremonies.  I reminded her that I was no longer involved; but still she still wanted to question me. ... She had a personal reason for asking as she had come across others and she wanted to compare what I had practiced, and what she had since found out about, and her own formed views on High Magic." 

Perhaps not the sort of conversation one might expect from someone so quick to berate others for not belonging to the modern post-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church? Things did not improve that night with one thing leading to another, as Farrant could not wait to inform all and sundry via his blog: 

"We moved to the sofa, and Della suggested that as we were being ‘wicked smokers’ and talking about ‘wicked things’ we may as well drink something more exciting, it being the weekend after all. She fetched one of the decanters from the marble half table which abutted one of the walls, along with a couple of old fashioned shaped glasses and some sugar cubes, and asked me if I would like some absinthe. The lit sugar cubes she placed on the slotted spoon seemed to flame violet as she prepared the drinks in a way that was quite fascinating to watch, and before long our conversation had got even more animated than usual. It was not something I would usually feel comfortable doing, but in this strange sense of isolation and intimacy, the combination of absinthe and agreeable company seemed to make everything around me easier and even more fluid."

Absinthe is a dangerously addictive psycho-active drug derived from an alcoholic beverage (75% alcohol) with a distinctive bitter taste caused by wormwood. It is mixed with distilled spirit, such as brandy, and other herbs and spices. In the nineteenth century, the yellowish-green drink became popular in Europe, particularly France, and in American cities. Its hallucinogenic properties made it chic among poets, writers, and artists, prompting one scholar to label it "the cocaine of the nineteenth century." In the early-twentieth century, absinthe was widely banned because of fears that it severely impaired the physical and mental health of its users, as well as the morality and social fabric of nations. Absinthe is quite obviously something an upstanding Roman Catholic [sic] like "Della" has no problem imbibing. She also lists on Facebook drug-inspired groups such as Pink Floyd and The Doors as her favourite musicians and composers. Yet "Della" and her persona are completely fake.

On the matter of events at Highgate Cemetery a decade before she was born, "Della" had this to say on the Supernatural World forum: "I have my own reasons for deciding what really happened. I really have no choice but to believe them as I know them to be fact." How is that remotely even possible? 

"Della" described Farrant as a "poster boy."

On his sixty-fifth birthday (23 January 2011), Farrant posted the following hypocritical falsehood: "Genuine Roman Catholics are one thing (and personally I am not opposed to that religion - or any genuine religions for that matter), but when people tend to adopt the term 'Catholic' to add to self-made Churches that attempt to copy authentic Catholic doctrines ... I can find absolutely no patience for that self-imposed deviation from genuine Catholic beliefs." He was quite obviously attempting to butter-up "Della" who at first protested she is Roman Catholic whilst believing in reincarnation, mediumship, spiritualism, magic and the occult — beliefs Roman Catholics would insist place her outside their Church and in a state of technical excommunication. Furthermore, "Della" has reached ill-considered judgements not in her gift to make. Why does she refer to me and my Faith in such an inaccurate and hostile way? I took Holy Orders at the end of a long journey which began with me as a young Anglican choir boy and church youth leader. Then I became a Roman Catholic convert which developed into my embrace of Traditionalist English Catholicism I today hold that has witnessed my becoming a deacon, priest, and, finally, a bishop. My spiritual odyssey is detailed in my book The Grail Church which is illustrated throughout and contains photographs of my taking holy orders. 

Perhaps we should remind ourselves of some of the statements made by "Della Vallicrus" about her own beliefs on the Supernatural World forum:

"I know that some of my own beliefs are technically in opposition to my Catholic faith. For example, my belief that some 'spirits of the dead' are actually people trapped between worlds, in need of help, and are not demonic representations of the living here to fool us and lead us away from God's truth. But my personal experiences of this since childhood, as a natural medium, just do not allow me to reject the concept on principle. ... I also believe in the validity of ceremonial High magic. ... When I say 'validity', I mean that I do believe that it does work, when performed properly. ...  I believe it is possible to interact with angels and demons through structured processes, but I cannot extend this to nature deities."

On the following day, 27 December 2010, she posted this on the same forum:

"I also believe in a range of beings which exist incorporeally, including spirits of the dead which replicate the behaviour of demons as we perceive it. These can be people who have not passed over and have degenerated into negative and menacing spirits because of unresolved issues in life. My belief in spirits, in this instance the consciousnesses of the departed interacting with the earthly plane, is not based on scripture. It is based on a lifetime of personal experience. It may be at odds with my religion, but I believe in both, and I cannot renounce either. I know there are incompatibilities. Mediumship can be a very dangerous art, yes. I have never thought of it as necromancy."

All this from a theologically naïve female barely turned thirty who gives the impression she inhabits the moral high ground as a "holier than thou" Roman Catholic, who is qualified to attack a bishop twice her age, while swooning over Farrant as might some wayward schoolgirl, albeit one infatuated with a self-procalimed Luciferian craving for public attention. There is something rather distasteful, as well as disgraceful, about this female. Yet it is now known that "Della," as a person in her own right, as self-described on the internet, does not exist, and that she is in reality quite something and somebody else. Her Facebook account comprises mostly a dozen or so of Farrant's "occult" friends.

Someone claiming to be the young girlfriend (and, since Hallowe'en 2011, wife) of a man born in January 1946 just happened to pick the precise same wedding date as her alter ego who really did get married (in Normandy) at Hallowe'en 2011 to a man called Isaac Ben Jacob. 

Isaac Ben Jacob found it necessary to issue a statement the following year which confirmed: 

"We do not have any relation or contact with Della and David Farrant, and we don't want to be associated with these two persons in any way, shape or form, because they have a sulfurous past, they have a reputation of being Satanists, and they are acquainted with people like Jean-Paul Bourre."

One person who claims to have known "Della Farrant" before she became a public figure is Angie Mary Watkins who had already by that time visited David Farrant on various occasions at his bedsit.

These are a few of many comments about "Della" that Angie Mary Watkins has posted on Facebook:

"Her ['Della's'] name is Anna Hinton, and she is an attractive lady with long dark hair.Yet she uses a false name and won't be photographed. And when she is, it's her ...ahem... body parts we see. Lets face it, there is something distinctly dodgy about the whole thing. At first, no one believed he HAD a wife, or girlfriend, because he kept rabbiting on about her 'bear shoulders in the moonlight' and other such crap - and playing the whole thing for laughs! Once, years ago, Farrant's friends were treated to his liaison with a mysterious lady - called, above all things, Veronica Lake. This turned out to be non other than one of his mates [Rob Milne] dressed up! Quite why Farrant pulled this childish stunt was never revealed. Yet pulled it. He said when his liaison with Della was first bought out into the open, 'Why does no one believe I've got a wife?' With his track record, it's hardly surprising." (11 August 2015)

"Well after all her crowing that she didn't want the Bishop following her or doing whatever dastardly deeds she imagined he's going to do, I'll wager he's not even interested? She seems to have this over-inflated opinion of herself that no one else shares. Her real identity, after all the posturing and preening, is of a 'nobody' and a petulant 'nobody' at that. A nobody who is such a silly little twat that she goes mad every time someone does something outside of her circle. Like, for example, befriending those she seeks to smear as her 'enemies'!" (8 August 2015)

"Well, it WAS written, you have to remember, by someone who lived in a complete fantasy world? I got to know the real Della - her real name and quite a good deal of everything else that she chose to tell me about,backwards of 3 years ago. And all I can say is that this person came up with such a lot of rubbish in my chat box, about talking mongooses haunting her home etc, that it was clear to me she was absolutely doolally." (17 June 2015)

"I'll see you all in court! That should see a packed gallery.What I don't get is all this about eating lobsters, acting all refined, with David [Farrant] portraying himself like some kind of posh bloke. The Della I encountered (and I've no reason to doubt that she WAS the same Della) was someone the complete opposite to posh - she had had lesbian encounters, was a single mother who had to move out of her home through lack of money, ate ice cream, had experienced pretty dark things happen in her past, went to the pub, and had an ASBO! Mystery, indeed! With a capital M!" (7 December 2014)

"What was the asbo for? Probably trying any means of attracting attention to herself - when she kept popping up in my chat box - that was the impression I got. That she was the kind of person who just wanted to be noticed. ... In spite of not encouraging her at all she constantly popped up - and each time told a different tale - whether it was about being haunted by a mongoose who lived in her house to things she got up to with women. Not surprisingly, after being fed a diet of this on a regular basis, I got fed up with her and told her to bugger off. Which bought the response 'I'll talk to you in the morning when you are less annoyed'!" (8 December 2014)

"Perverse rumours which he alone started. These include David being my father, my mother being David’s second wife, [Colette Gee also known as Colette Sully, pictured above]. He also sees fit to challenge the parentage of David’s youngest son [Danny]." — "Della" (31 May 2020)

Extremely rare image of "Della" unmasked.

© Polly Hancock, 31 October 2013