The son of a former regional press journalist has been charged with murder after his father was found dead at home.
Howard Winton Cooper, who was known as Winton, was found at his Dorset home on Friday, where he had been living in his retirement.
He was a news reporter and feature writer at the Huddersfield Examiner in the late 1960s and early 1970s and also worked at Newcastle daily the Evening Chronicle as a reporter in the mid-1980s.
Winton later became a well-known broadcaster on BBC Radio Sheffield, where he is believed to have worked until around 15 years ago.
His son Joseph Ashley Cooper, 23, was remanded in custody after appearing at Weymouth Magistrates Court on Monday charged with his murder and is due to appear at Winchester Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on 28 April.
Examiner columnist Denis Kilcommons said: “He was brilliant company and a great raconteur.
“He had excellent wit and humour and was superb hosting the phone-in programme on Radio Sheffield. He was one of life’s genuine characters.”
Retired Examiner journalist Mike Shaw added: “He was a very bright and diligent reporter and was quite ambitious.”
Winton was elected chairman of the Huddersfield branch of the National Union of Journalists in 1971.
During his time at BBC Radio Sheffield, he covered the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest saw 96 people lose their lives.
Winton, who was thought to have been in his mid-60s, was found at his home in Marnhull, near Sturminster Newton, and his son gave the same address in court.
A post-mortem examination has been carried out to establish the cause of death.
He leaves two other sons, Oliver and Edward, and his ex-wife Helen still lives in Huddersfield.
It appears to have been overlooked that Winton Cooper had a spell on The Star in Sheffield before he went into local radio.
Report this comment