‘Lover Was Threat, So Thorpe Plotted Murder' (Press, 11 May 1979)
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Summary: ‘Lover Was Threat, So Thorpe Plotted Murder' (Press, 11 May 1979)
In a sensational trial in London, Jeremy Thorpe, the former leader of the British Liberal Party, is accused of conspiring to murder Norman Scott, a man with whom he had a homosexual relationship in the early 1960s. Prosecutor Peter Taylor informed the jury that Thorpe's political ambitions were threatened by Scott's ongoing presence and claims about their affair, resulting in Thorpe's increasing desperation and obsession with silencing Scott. Thorpe, aged 50 and once considered one of Britain’s most popular politicians, denied having any homosexual relations with Scott. However, the prosecution presented letters from Thorpe that are claimed to corroborate Scott’s account of their relationship. Scott, who has not attended the court proceedings due to British law prohibiting witnesses from being present before testifying, previously suffered from a nervous breakdown and sought help from Thorpe. The affair reportedly took place over several years, after which Scott began to pressure Thorpe for assistance and spoke about their relationship to others. In 1967, after being elected leader of the Liberal Party, the threat Scott posed to Thorpe became increasingly significant. Amid this turmoil, Thorpe allegedly urged fellow defendant David Holmes, a former deputy treasurer of the Liberal Party, to eliminate Scott. Holmes and another defendant, Peter Bessell, attempted to dissuade Thorpe from this course of action. However, frustrated by Scott's public disclosures, Holmes ultimately became convinced that murder was the only solution to protect Thorpe and the party. The conspiracy involved the recruitment of an airline pilot named Andrew Newton, who was paid to confront Scott. Newton attempted to carry out the plan by luring Scott to a remote area, where he shot and injured Scott's dog but failed to harm Scott himself. Following this incident, Newton was briefly imprisoned for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Later, he received £5,000 from John le Mesurier, another accused party member, for his role in the plot. All four defendants, including Thorpe, have pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to murder, with Thorpe facing an additional charge of incitement to murder. The trial, described as the most sensational in Britain for decades, has the potential to last for up to three months. If convicted, Thorpe could serve up to ten years in prison, marking a dramatic and troubling chapter in both his personal life and political career.
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