Bertil Fox
| Bertil Fox | |
|---|---|
| Bodybuilder | |
| Personal info | |
| Nickname | Brutal |
| Born | 5 January 1951 St. Kitts |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Professional career | |
| Pro-debut |
|
| Best win |
|
| Active | Retired 1995 |
Bertil Fox (born 5 January 1951) is a British former International Federation of BodyBuilders professional bodybuilder and convicted murderer. He was pardoned for that crime by the Governor General of Saint Kitts and Nevis on 4 August 2022.[1]
Biography
Born 5 January 1951, on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts, Fox emigrated to London, England, with his family when he was one year old. He then moved to Northampton. He did not return to St. Kitts for more than 40 years. He once said, "I'm 100% British. I think, I act and talk like an Englishman, not like someone from the West Indies."
Encouraged by a cousin to take up bodybuilding, Fox won the 1969 Junior Mr. Britain at 18. He went on to win nearly every major bodybuilding contest outside of the IFBB, including the 1976 AAU Mr. World, the amateur 1977 NABBA Mr. Universe and the professional NABBA Mr. Universe in 1978 and 1979. Before turning Professional, Fox worked as a train driver on the London Underground. Joe Weider sponsored Fox's move to Los Angeles in 1981, and he competed in IFBB contests for the next 13 years. Bill Reynolds, then Flex magazine editor-in-chief, gave Fox the nickname "Brutal Bertil" for his high-volume and extremely heavy training.
Fox placed second in two IFBB shows – the 1982 Night of Champions and the 1983 Swiss Grand Prix (beating Lee Haney) and he finished fifth in the 1983 Mr. Olympia (his second of five Mr. O appearances). He competed in 12 IFBB shows from 1984 to 1994. Retiring from the stage, he returned to St. Kitts for the first time since 1952, to open Fox's Gym in the summer of 1995.
Murder conviction
On 30 September 1997, in St. Kitts and Nevis, 20-year-old beauty queen Leyoca Browne and her mother, 36-year-old Violet Browne, were fatally shot by Fox, then 46. Fox, who previously had been engaged to Leyoca, was arrested and charged with the murders. On 22 May 1998, Fox was convicted of murder of the two women. He was originally sentenced to death by hanging, but after an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, his sentence was changed to life in prison.[2][3][4][5][6] On 4 August 2022, Fox was pardoned by the Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis after serving 25 years and is now a free man living in the UK.
Competition record
- 1969
- Mr Britain – NABBA, Junior, 1st
- 1970
- Mr Britain – NABBA, Junior, 1st
- 1971
- Mr Britain – NABBA, Junior, 1st
- Mr Europe, Junior, 1st
- 1976
- Mr Britain – NABBA, Winner
- Mr Europe, Medium, 1st
- Mr Europe, Overall Winner
- Mr Universe – NABBA, Medium, 2nd
- Mr World – AAU, Winner
- Mr World – AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
- Mr World – AAU, Medium, 1st
- 1977
- Mr Universe – NABBA, Medium, 1st
- Mr Universe – NABBA, Overall Winner
- 1978
- Universe – Pro – NABBA, Winner
- 1979
- Universe – Pro – NABBA, Winner
- 1980
- World Championships – WABBA, Professional, 2nd
- 1981
- Grand Prix Belgium – IFBB, 5th
- 1982
- Night of Champions – IFBB, 2nd
- Olympia – IFBB, 8th
- 1983
- Grand Prix Sweden – IFBB, 4th
- Grand Prix Switzerland – IFBB, 2nd
- Olympia – IFBB, 5th
- 1984
- World Pro Championships – IFBB, 5th
- 1986
- Olympia – IFBB, 7th
- 1987
- Grand Prix Germany – IFBB, 9th
- Night of Champions – IFBB, 7th
- Olympia – IFBB, 12th
- 1989
- Arnold Classic – IFBB, 6th
- Grand Prix Melbourne – IFBB, 6th
- Olympia – IFBB, 11th
- World Pro Championships – IFBB, 5th
- 1992
- Arnold Classic – IFBB, 16th
- Pittsburgh Pro Invitational – IFBB, 9th
- 1994
- Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, 13th
See also
References
- ^ "St Kitts and Nevis Bodybuilding Legend Bertil Fox Gains Pardon After Serving 25 Years for Double Murder - SKN News". 10 August 2022.
- ^ A letter from Bertil: Bertil Fox is serving a life sentence for double murder on the island of St. Kitts. In this FLEX exclusive, he gives his version of what happened on that fateful day in 1997 | Flex. Find Articles. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- ^ When Bertil Fox, a former Mr. Universe, was arrested for – 05.18.98 – SI Vault. Sportsillustrated.cnn.com (18 May 1998). Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- ^ History of Mr. Olympia: BERTIL FOX. Schwarzenegger.it. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- ^ The murder trial of Bertil Fox | Bodybuilding champion of the Golden Age | Web site of classic pro physique muscle star and contest winner, Bertil Fox | AAU, NABBA and IFBB boby building show winner Archived 26 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Bertilfox.com. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- ^ "Bertil Fox: Height | Weight | Arms | Chest | Biography". Fitness Volt. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
External links
- 1951 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople convicted of murder
- British male bodybuilders
- Black British sportsmen
- English people convicted of murder
- English people imprisoned abroad
- English prisoners sentenced to death
- English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
- People convicted of murder by Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Prisoners sentenced to death by Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Professional bodybuilders
- Saint Kitts and Nevis emigrants to the United Kingdom
- Pardon recipients