Thorpe, Witness ‘joked About Nurder’ (Press, 18 May 1979)

On 18 May 1979, the Old Bailey heard sensational testimonies regarding a high-profile legal case involving former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe. Peter Bessell, a former British parliamentarian and the crown's principal witness, alleged that Thorpe had jokingly admitted to murdering a blackmailer and disposing of the body down a mineshaft. This revelation was reportedly met with laughter from Thorpe, who suggested that if Bessell focused more on political campaigning instead of fictional murders, his successor in the Liberal Party might have retained his parliamentary seat. Bessell's claims revolved around a supposed plot to kill a man named Mr Hetherington, who was allegedly threatening to expose Thorpe’s purported homosexual relationship with male model Norman Scott. Thorpe, now aged 50, has pleaded not guilty to serious charges of incitement and conspiracy to murder Scott, which could lead to a sentence of up to ten years in prison. Alongside Thorpe, the co-defendants include David Holmes, Thorpe's former best man and deputy treasurer; John le Mesurier, a carpet dealer; and George Deakin, a nightclub owner involved in fruit machine dealings. All co-defendants have also denied the conspiracy charges. During the proceedings, Thorpe’s barrister, George Carman, highlighted what he described as Bessell's compellingly unusual sense of humour, as he disclosed that Thorpe had previously provided a statement to the Director of Public Prosecutions in December 1977—even before any formal charges were laid against him. Carman challenged Bessell's credibility, questioning his tendency to fabricate lies. Despite maintaining that he had paid Hetherington $340 to silence him with blackmail letters, Bessell acknowledged that Thorpe had never met Hetherington nor had any knowledge of the letters, which Bessell admitted to burning. However, he contested the suggestion that his narrative was fictitious or that he had deliberately created misleading evidence at Thorpe's expense. This case has drawn public attention due to its implications for the political landscape, and the courtroom exchanges are revealing a striking intersection of politics, personal scandals, and allegations of crime. The trial continues to unfold with significant interest from the media and the public alike.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand