Champagne For Thorpe (Press, 25 June 1979)
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Summary: Champagne For Thorpe (Press, 25 June 1979)
On 25 June 1979, British politician Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder after a high-profile 31-day trial at London’s Old Bailey. Thorpe, who is 50 years old, was once a prominent leader of the Liberal Party and had celebrated his acquittal with champagne over the weekend. This trial was significantly marked by the drama surrounding allegations made by a former lover, 38-year-old Norman Scott, who claimed a homosexual relationship with Thorpe in the early 1960s. The trial also led to Thorpe's electoral defeat just days before its commencement, ending a 20-year parliamentary career. During the trial, the jury deliberated for 52 hours to determine whether Thorpe and three other defendants — David Holmes, John le Mesurier, and George Deakin — had conspired to murder Scott. The prosecution argued that a hired hit-man, Andrew Newton, had attempted to kill Scott in 1975 but mistakenly shot his Great Dane instead. Thorpe consistently denied any involvement with Scott, including allegations of incitement to murder. After his acquittal, Thorpe described the outcome for himself and the three others as a "total vindication." However, he did not indicate plans for a political comeback and opted for a time away from public scrutiny with his family. Thorpe's political future remains uncertain, as he may need to wait for up to five years for a potential opportunity to reclaim his former parliamentary seat under the new Conservative government. Throughout the trial, Thorpe refrained from taking the witness stand, opting instead to maintain his silence aside from denying the charges against him. With his reputation once seen as among the most popular politicians in Britain, the conclusion of this lengthy legal battle leaves his career at a crossroads.
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