Thorpe Case Pay-off Was Nearly Bungled (Press, 1 June 1979)

On 1 June 1979, the trial of Jeremy Thorpe, the former leader of the Liberal Party, continued in London as he faced charges related to a murder plot. The case centres on allegations that Thorpe intended to kill Norman Scott, a male model who claimed they shared a homosexual relationship in the past. Prosecutors allege that Thorpe was motivated to silence Scott to protect his own career from potential scandal. During the proceedings, the jury was informed about a questionable £5,000 pay-off that took place after Andrew Gino Newton, who allegedly acted as a “hit man,” was released from prison in 1977. Newton, who had shot Scott’s dog and served time for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, claims he was hired by Thorpe to execute a more severe plan against Scott. David Miller, a friend of Newton and a printer from Wales, testified on the sixteenth day of the trial. He recounted how he facilitated a meeting where the money was exchanged. At the time, the "Dabs" private detective agency had surveilled this pay-off to ensure Mr Newton's safety. Miller described the scene where he transported Newton to a roadside rendezvous where John le Mesurier, another defendant and associate of Thorpe, was waiting with the cash. Concerned about the transaction's visibility, le Mesurier became anxious when a car with a photographer drove by. Miller noted that the event wasn't what he had envisioned, ultimately leading to a transfer of the money at a more secluded location, a deserted brickworks. Thorpe, alongside le Mesurier and two other co-defendants — George Deakin, a fruit-machine dealer, and David Holmes, a tax consultant — pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder. Thorpe also denied an additional charge of incitement to murder, maintaining that he did not engage in any romantic involvement with Scott. The trial's ongoing revelations have painted a picture of a convoluted legal battle laced with scandal, conspiracy, and the complexities of personal relationships in the public eye.

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