Willi’s ashes will go home

AN Oldham woman accused of trying to smuggle the body of her dead husband on to a plane will cremate him and fly his ashes back to Germany.

Widow Gitta Jarant says Kurt “Willi” Jarant always wanted his last resting place to be in his homeland of Germany and she is determined to carry out his wishes.

It was claimed the body of the 91-year-old, wearing sunglasses, was pushed in on a wheelchair in an effort to fool staff at the check in desk at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Mrs Jarant (66) and daughter Anke Anusic (41) were arrested, but deny police claims Mr Jurant had been dead for 12 hours.s

They insist they thought he was asleep and that he must have died at the airport.

Staff became suspicious and alerted the authorities as the women, from Franklin Close, Coldhurst, attempted to check in Mr Jarant for a flight to Berlin on Saturday, April 3.

The women have strongly denied suggestions that they were trying to smuggle the body back to his homeland to avoid repatriation fees, which can be as high as £3,000.

They were questioned by police “on suspicion of failing to give notification of a death” before being released on bail until June 1.

Details were passed to Liverpool Coroners, who have confirmed that as the death was natural causes there will be no inquest, leaving police to ascertain the circumstances.

Miss Anusic told the Chronicle: “We have had the post-mortem and the cause of death was organ failure. Once the body is released he will be cremated and we will fly the ashes back to Germany.”

The bizarre incident has created headlines around the world.

Miss Anusic, a part–time child minder and student, said the family was still upset and stressed by what had happened.

The family say Mr Jarant, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, had been treated in hospital for pneumonia and they had waited until he was better before booking a ticket to travel. He had been wearing sunglasses because of an unsightly eye.

But airport worker Andrew Millea said that as he helped Mr Jarant into the wheelchair his face fell sideways against his and was ice cold so he knew that he was dead.

Miss Anusic, who has four children, moved to Oldham in 2002 and her mother and step-father made the move from Germany to live with her two years later.

Mrs Jarant had been married to her husband, a former pilot and German soldier, for nine years.