Thorpe ‘party To $½m Fraud Scheme’ (Press, 24 November 1978)

On 24 November 1978, the ongoing legal troubles of British politician Jeremy Thorpe escalated as he faced new allegations in court. Thorpe, a former leader of the Liberal Party, had already been charged with conspiring to murder his alleged homosexual lover, Norman Scott. The latest accusation, presented in the Minehead Magistrate's Court by former Liberal MP Peter Bessell, stated that Thorpe was involved in a $480,000 fraud scheme as well. Bessell, who once described Thorpe as a dear friend, testified against him as a star Crown witness after being granted immunity from prosecution. Throughout his testimony, Bessell revealed that he had heard Thorpe discuss the need to murder Scott due to the latter speaking about a homosexual affair they had in the early 1960s. Bessell disclosed that a hitman had previously attempted to kill Scott in 1975, only to fail due to a malfunctioning pistol. In his cross-examination of Bessell, Thorpe's lawyer, Sir David Napley, probed the basis of the fraud allegations, suggesting that Thorpe had plotted with Bessell to deceive businessman Jack Hayward—an influential donor to the Liberal Party—by fabricating a necessity for a bribe in a property deal. Bessell acknowledged that their plan was to convince Hayward that $480,000 was essential to expedite the transaction. When confronted about his own credibility, Bessell admitted the difficulty in ascertaining when he was being truthful or deceitful. This courtroom drama was marked by Bessell's testimony concerning his personal financial ruin and prior dealings with Hayward, which had left him in significant debt. As the trial progressed, anticipation grew regarding the magistrates’ decision on whether the case should advance to a judge and jury. In a separate report, it was noted that a log kept by Captain Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay—the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945—had been sold at auction for $US85,000. This sale marked a record price for an American autographed document, with Forbes magazine acquiring the log. Captain Lewis had written the log upon the request of William Laurence, a science editor for the New York Times, who had missed the opportunity to accompany the mission. Overall, the unfolding events surrounding Thorpe's legal challenges not only drew significant public attention but also highlighted issues of credibility, deception, and political scandal, while the auction of the historic log added an intriguing parallel narrative involving a pivotal moment in history.

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