
Disgraced star's £4million riverside mansion fails to attract buyer due to ‘stigma' of former owner
Buyers are allegedly being put off the £4million property, located on the banks of the River Thames in Bray, Berkshire, because of the "stigma" of its notorious former owner.
3
The disgraced star was jailed for five years and nine months in July 2014
Credit: Rex
The Australian
TV personality
, musician and artist was
and nine months in July 2014.
Mayfair-based estate agents Benson International has had it up for sale since April this year.
The move marked almost two years since the disgraced star died of neck cancer in the house aged 93.
Read more News
Harris was found
Some of his heinous crimes even took place inside his house, between 1968 and 1986.
He has also been accused of sexually assaulting one of his daughters friends, who was between 13 and 19 at the time.
The
Most read in The Sun
Speaking to the Mirror, Brian Warren, who previously valued the mansion, explained that the cost was also putting off potential buyers.
He said: "We actually looked at it and others on the same row. I originally said it was worth £2million.
"No one buying at that price would want to live in it because of the stigma.
"And it is a mess with all add-on extensions that Rolf Harris put on over the years.
Rolf Harris' wife Alwen Hughes dies aged 93 one year after paedo husband's death from neck cancer
"So they're looking at paying another £1.5million on top of that to rebuild it because it's on the river, which is more expensive.
"Given the cost of renovation, it's just not cost effective if you have to pay £4million for the property."
Harris lived in the Riverside mansion for over six decades after rising to fame in his early 20s when he began performing a regular ten-minute cartoon drawing section in children's show Jigsaw.
, his wife, had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and died in August last year.
She constantly supported her husband during his court case, along with Bindi, with the pair regularly spotted holding his hand on the way into court.
The house was designed in line with his childhood house on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia.
It was in his childhood home he learned to swim before becoming a national junior backstroke champion aged 15.
It was renovated ahead of his release from jail in 2017, with workmen seen replacing a large patio at a cost of more than £10,000.
The front drive, which is overlooked by a horse head, was also dug up and the back garden revamped.
Sellers
Benson International describe themselves as a 'premium property specialist operating in the heart of
London
".
Their website adds: 'We are a private office who have worked alongside clients with discretion for many years.'
3
Harris' wife Alwen was often seen supporting him as he went to court
Credit: Getty
3
Bindi, right, Harris' only child, inherited the property in Bray, Berkshire along with the majority of his £16 million estate
Credit: PA:Press Association

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SUNDAY, SEPT 2 9.04am (Japan time): World War Two formally ends when Japanese officials sign the surrender treaty aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Additional reporting: Eleanor Sprawson 9 US President Harry Truman approved the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 Credit: Getty Advertisement 9 Six days later on August 15 Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's unconditional surrender Credit: PA:Press Association

Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Garda staff body doubts damaging allegations about roads policing will be substantiated
The biggest staff body in An Garda Síochána has questioned the accuracy of claims made about the performance of roads policing gardaí . The Garda Representative Association (GRA) accused Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA) of 'drip-feeding' damaging allegations to the media about gardaí which it doubted would ever be substantiated. The GRA, which represents more than 11,000 rank and file members in the 14,300-strong force, attacked Mr Harris's management style, claiming it has 'dramatically impacted on the morale and motivation' of all gardaí. It accused Mr Harris, who is due to retire in less than a month , of being 'disrespectful' to gardaí, abdicating his responsibilities as commissioner, valuing the input of consultants more than Garda supervisors and lacking confidence in his own managers. READ MORE The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), which represents Garda middle management, said it was 'deeply concerned' at the conclusions reached about the standard of roads policing in the new report by Crowe consultants. It said it remained 'resolutely committed' to its 'core mission of keeping people safe' and improving policing performance. However, AGSI added that it was 'disappointed' at the manner in which elements of the Crowe report emerged in the public domain at a public meeting of the PCSA. It pointed out it had not yet been provided with the report, reflecting a 'broader dysfunctionality' around consultation in the Garda force. [ Garda roads policing numbers hit historic low Opens in new window ] Outgoing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris spoke to the media ahead of his retirement and last meeting at the PCSA on Thursday. Photograph: Sam Boal/ Collins Photos AGSI, which has enjoyed better relations with Mr Harris than the GRA, addressed the core findings of the Crowe report, expressing its concern and saying it had confidence that improvements could be made to roads policing performance. However, the GRA referenced the report's damning findings about roads policing only in the context of doubting them. GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said by commissioning consultants to review roads policing, Mr Harris was guilty of 'inaction' and using a management style that sabotaged morale. He also questioned claims made by Mr Harris and Ms Byrne at Thursday's PCSA meeting about the contents of the Crowe report. 'The initial feedback from our members who interacted with Crowe is at odds with the drip fed comments from the (PCSA) and the commissioner,' he said. He added that gardaí 'now anxiously await' the Crowe report's publication 'and question whether any findings will substantiate the damaging allegations made against our members'. AGSI said the report appeared to be 'highly critical' of how the Garda 'under Commissioner Harris' leadership, has overseen and supported' personnel in roads policing. However, it recognised that such reports could become 'valuable tools' and believed progress would be made once the report was published and fully understood. Crowe, a consultancy firm, was commissioned by Garda headquarters to carry an independent review of roads policing. That occurred after anonymous correspondence, apparently from a Garda member, was sent to Garda management expressing concern about roads policing. The report would be published once it was checked to ensure nobody referenced could be identified, the commissioner said. Photograph: Artur Widak/ NurPhoto via Getty Images PCSA chair Elaine Byrne said Mr Harris had 'acted on' the whistleblower claims by commissioning the Crowe report. She said that action 'very much reflects a cultural change' in the Garda where 'uncomfortable truths' had been 'confronted' rather than hidden. She hoped that approach would continue after Mr Harris retired next month. Ms Byrne said the Crowe report was 'shocking' because 'there are members in roads policing who seem very much disinterested in their job'. Some gardaí displayed a 'blatant disregard' for their jobs and were 'openly hostile' about doing their work, she said. The report, she added, also showed some Garda managers were too fearful to intervene when they identified poor performance, which was very concerning. Mr Harris also said he was 'shocked' by the report, describing it as 'sobering to say the least'. He said some gardaí were 'brazen' about their disinterest in their jobs, even while their work was being reviewed by examiners who travelled with them in Garda cars. The report would be published once it was checked to ensure nobody referenced could be identified, the commissioner added.