Jury Out In Thorpe Case After Judge Slates... (Press, 21 June 1979)

The trial of Jeremy Thorpe, a former leader of the Liberal Party, has now progressed to the jury deliberation stage after nearly a month of intense legal proceedings. Thorpe, aged 50, along with three co-defendants, faces charges related to a conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, a former male model who alleges they had a homosexual relationship in the early 1960s. The trial, which began on 18 May 1979, has captured significant media attention in what has been termed "the trial of the century." During the trial, the defendants have maintained their innocence. The judge, Sir Joseph Cantley, undertook a comprehensive summation of the case, which he described as "bizarre and surprising." He spent 12 hours, spread over two days, addressing the jury before they retreated to consider their verdict. The judge highlighted the gravity of the situation for the jury, stating they were about to cast votes that could determine the fate of Thorpe's life. Thope's political career has taken a downturn; he had remained a prominent figure for a decade before resigning from his leadership role in 1976 and subsequently losing his parliamentary seat in the 1979 General Election. His co-defendants include his associate David Holmes and businessmen John le Mesurier and George Deakin. In court, Norman Scott, aged 38, has made allegations of an affair with Thorpe, which the politician has denied. The prosecution asserts that the accused conspired against Scott, who had been candid about the supposed relationship. A key prosecution witness, Andrew Newton, claimed he was hired to kill Scott but ended up shooting only Scott's dog in 1975. The judge had critical remarks about Scott, labelling him a "liar" and "parasite," while acknowledging that he could still be truthful in his testimony. He cautioned the jury to scrutinise Newton’s evidence carefully, suggesting that it was motivated by his potential self-interest as an accomplice. Sir Joseph Cantley encouraged the jury to consider if there was a conspiracy intended to intimidate Scott, as it wasn't disputed that a conspiracy involving Newton existed. He remarked that the actions taken to threaten or potentially harm Scott were carelessly executed, implying that real conspirators would have acted with more caution to avoid detection. The judge also remarked on the circumstantial nature of the evidence against Thorpe, suggesting the jury take into account the implications of motive while stating it was not definitive. He painted Scott as a resentful individual with a long-standing grievance against Thorpe, proposing that his ongoing narrative had the potential to jeopardise Thorpe's political career, leading to speculation about an interest in silencing Scott. As the jury reflects on the complicated tapestry of testimony and accusations, the outcome remains heavily weighted on the inferences drawn from this peculiar and high-profile case.

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