{{Short description|Scottish murder victim}} {{Coords|53.29485|-6.15631|type:event|display=title}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2022}} '''Charles Self''' (14 February 1949 – 21 January 1982)<ref name=Garda>{{cite news|url=https://www.garda.ie/en/crime-prevention/crimecall-on-rte/crimecall-episodes/2017/january-23/murder-of-charlie-self-on-the-21-1-82.html|title=Murder of Charlie Self on the 21/1/82|publisher=Garda Síochána|date=2022|accessdate=12 September 2022}}</ref> was a Scottish gay man who was attacked and killed at his home in Monkstown, Dublin in Ireland in a brutal attack in January 1982.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/special-reports/unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder-of-rte-set-designer-34925812.html|title=Unsolved crimes: Mystery blond holds key to solving brutal murder of RTE set designer|publisher=Sunday Independent|first=Liam|last=Collins|date=31 July 2016|accessdate=23 September 2016}}</ref>
==Early life== Charles 'Charlie' Self was born in England, on 14 February 1949, and his mother died when he was quite young.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> Some friends in Dublin believed he was adopted.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> Some had met his parents when they visited him and his father, who was in the military, may have remarried.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> He was mainly raised by an aunt in Glasgow and was on good terms with his family.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
==Career== Self had worked at the BBC, but was persuaded to work at the Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann by RTÉ's head of design, Alpho O'Reilly. Self relocated to Dublin in 1978<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> and moved into Annesley Mews on Brighton Avenue in Monkstown.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> He shared the mews with broadcaster Vincent Hanley.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
He was the main set designer for ''The Late Late Show'' and worked on a popular Christmas television special with the entertainer Twink, and was due to have a wage increase.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
==Murder== ===Last known movements=== On 20 January 1982, Self met with friends for a drink at lunchtime in The Bailey pub on Duke Street in Dublin.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> Afterwards he walked with a friend along Dawson Street before he headed to RTÉ.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
After work he went home, then at 8.30 that evening he was given a lift into the city centre by a passing motorist after waiting at a bus stop.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> He was seen in The Bailey pub again at around 8.30{{nbsp}}pm, leaving at about 9{{nbsp}}pm. He was then seen in the South William public house where he remained until around 10.30{{nbsp}}pm.<ref name="garda.ie">{{Cite web|url=https://www.garda.ie/en/crime-prevention/crimecall-on-rte/crimecall-episodes/2017/january-23/murder-of-charlie-self-on-the-21-1-82.html|title=Murder of Charlie Self on the 21/1/82}}</ref> He went to another pub, the gay-friendly Bartley Dunne's pub on Stephen Street Lower, where he remained until closing time.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> He then went down Grafton Street and D'Olier Street to Burgh Quay, where he entered a late-light restaurant called the Hot Pot Cafe at 11.40{{nbsp}}pm to buy take-away food,<ref name="garda.ie"/> then left at 12:05{{nbsp}}am.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
He was with a fair-haired man in a two-piece suit when they got into a taxi at 12.20{{nbsp}}am.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> The taximan said his passengers became amorous in the back seat and he left them at Annesley Mews at 12.40, a time confirmed by a garda on 24-hour duty outside a judge's house nearby.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
Vincent Hanley appears not to have been at the mews that night, but another RTÉ set designer, Bertram 'Bertie' Tyrer was staying in Hanley's room rather than returning to his cottage in County Wicklow.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
===Discovery of murder=== Bertie Tyrer came down stairs at 8.45{{nbsp}}am and found Self's body lying in a pool of blood, partly slumped against the front door.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> He had been stabbed 14 times and there were three slash wounds to his throat. Part of the cord from a red dressing gown belonging to Vincent Hanley was also wound tightly around his neck.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/> Tyler tried to use the phone, but could not get a dial tone, so he rang Dún Laoghaire Garda station from the neighbouring mews.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
==Funeral== His funeral was held in St. Andrews' Presbyterian Church in Blackrock.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
==Aftermath== Along with the murder of Declan Flynn, the murder of Charles Self motivated LGBT activists to protest against Gardaí getting information on gay men through intimidation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/out-of-the-closet-into-the-open-236610.html|title=Out of the closet, into the open|publisher=Irish Examiner|first=Caomhán|last=Keane}}</ref> It had a profound impact on the LGBT community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drb.ie/new-books/in-the-name-of-love|title=In the name of love|first=Úna|last=Mullalley}}</ref>
==Status of case== In 2008, a review of the case was conducted by Garda Detective Alan Bailey. He concluded that the murder scene may have been "staged" by the killer to divert attention from himself. As of 2022, the case was still open.<ref name=si-unsolved-crimes-mystery-blond-holds-key-to-solving-brutal-murder/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Self, Charles}} Category:1949 births Category:1982 deaths Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people Category:Violence against gay men Category:Violence against LGBTQ people in Europe Category:Violence against men in Europe