Longtime Warner Music exec's former partner facing murder charges
Peter Ikin’s former partner is facing murder charges relating to the longtime Warner Music executive’s death in a Paris hotel more than a decade ago.
Peter Ikin’s former partner is facing murder charges relating to the longtime Warner Music executive’s death in a Paris hotel more than a decade ago.
Ikin, a widely respected music man who is remembered as the architect of Warner Music’s Australian presence, died in 2008 from a suspected heart attack. He was 62.
Now, a French judge has ruled that Ikin’s partner Alexandre Despallieres would face trial for first-degree murder and forgery.
Despallieres, 52, raised suspicions when he presented a secret will which made him the sole beneficiary of the late exec’s estate. Further questions were raised when it emerged he had married Ikin in a civil ceremony in London just weeks before his death.
Reports from the time suggest the Frenchman went on a spending spree, acquiring several Porsches just months after Ikin’s passing.
Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
The Frenchman had insisted Ikin’s death was the result of a heart attack, though a toxicology report later reveal lethal levels of paracetamol in his bloodstream.
The will turned out to be a fake and, in June 2010, Despallieres was arrested and held on remand for suspicion of murder and for the forgery.
He spent the best part of two years in a Paris prison, though he was released on bail pending a decision on whether he could face trial.
The wheels of justice cranked up a gear last week with reports of a new dossier of information leading to a decision to bring a trial.
"This indictment is a relief," says French lawyer Marion Gregoire for Ikin’s family.
Ikin enjoyed a storied career in the music industry, from which he retired in 2000 after a quarter century. Recognised for his loyalty and for his respect for the artists he represented, Ikin was managing director of the U.S. repertoire division of Warner Music Australia from 1987-91 and, later, Warner Music International senior VP of international marketing and artist development, based in London.
Ikin was also a co-founder of the ARIA Awards, serving as a key member of the ARIAs board of governors and as deputy chairman for the first six years.
