‘Hit Man’ Tells Of Death Plot (Press, 29 November 1978)
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Summary: ‘Hit Man’ Tells Of Death Plot (Press, 29 November 1978)
A former airline pilot, Andrew Gino Newton, testified in a court in Minehead, alleging that he was hired for £10,000 (approximately $20,000) to kill a male model named Norman Scott. This plot is said to have been orchestrated by ex-Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, who is facing charges of incitement to murder Scott and conspiracy with three other men. The background to the case involves a past homosexual relationship between Thorpe and Scott, with Thorpe reportedly fearing that Scott might expose their affair, thereby jeopardising his political career. In his testimony, Newton claimed that in early 1975, he was introduced to George Deakin, one of the accused, at a nightclub. During a subsequent meeting in a car, they allegedly fixed the fee for the assassination and discussed the logistics. Newton came away with photographs of Scott and contact information, although he later realised he had mistyped the town where Scott could be found. After some failed attempts to locate Scott, Newton met David Holmes, the former deputy treasurer of the Liberal Party and another co-defendant, in a London hotel. Holmes expressed a desire for Scott to "vanish off the face of the Earth." With the pretense of representing an Italian modelling agency, Newton arranged a meeting with Scott at the Royal Gardens Hotel, but Scott never showed up, which led Newton to feel relieved. Eventually, Newton met Scott in Barnstaple, where Scott disclosed their past relationship and expressed his animosity towards the Liberal Party. Newton, while expressing his intentions to carry out the murder, became concerned for his own safety due to the conspiracy. During cross-examination, Newton admitted to having difficulty distinguishing between reality and fabrication and also stated he had received immunity from prosecution for his testimony, which raised questions about his credibility. The court, which was often filled with laughter during his testimony, saw Thorpe present in a green tweed suit, often chuckling at Newton's assertions. In a separate report from Johannesburg, six African and Indian anti-apartheid leaders were released from over a year of detention but were subsequently banned from political activity for five years following their arrest during government crackdowns against "black consciousness" movements. The individuals named included Aubrey Mokoena, Sedupe Ramsey Ramokgopa, Thandisizwe Mazibuko, Sadik Varavia, Vuyisile Mdleleni, and the Rev. Drake Tshenkeng.
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