‘Assassin’ Tells Of Pistol Jamming On Lonely... (Press, 26 May 1979)
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Summary: ‘Assassin’ Tells Of Pistol Jamming On Lonely... (Press, 26 May 1979)
On 26 May 1979, the trial of former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe continued in London, where he faces serious charges including conspiracy to murder. The allegations stem from a supposed plot in 1975 to kill Norman Scott, a male model who claims to have had a homosexual affair with Thorpe. During the proceedings, a key witness, Andrew Gino Newton, an airline pilot, testified that he was hired to carry out the assassination. Newton recounted his experience, stating that he lost his nerve during the attempt on Scott's life. He indicated that he had been offered $20,000 for the job and had even purchased a heavy masonry chisel with the intention of killing Scott. However, when the time came to execute the plan, Scott did not arrive at their predetermined meeting place on a remote moor in the west of England. At the rendezvous, Newton admitted to killing Scott's Great Dane, Binka, and had then turned the gun on Scott, allegedly saying "It's your turn now." However, he claimed that his borrowed Mauser pistol jammed, resulting in him abandoning the murder plot and fleeing the scene. Newton described feeling conflicted about the assignment, realising he lacked the capacity to go through with it and deciding instead to pretend he had tried and failed. Thorpe has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Alongside him in the dock at the Old Bailey are three co-defendants, all of whom also plead not guilty to conspiracy charges. Among them is David Holmes, who was Thorpe's best man at his wedding in 1968 and is alleged to have played a managerial role in the murder plot. Another defendant, George Deakin, a nightclub owner, is accused of being responsible for recruiting Newton, while John le Mesurier, a carpet dealer, is alleged to have paid Newton a portion of the contract money after being released from jail for an unrelated firearms conviction. The outcome of this shocking case continues to unfold before the jury, as it examines the complicated ties between politics, personal relationships, and alleged crimes.
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