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Jeremy Thorpe scandal: Suspect might not be dead, police say Jeremy Thorpe scandal: Suspect might not be dead, police say
(about 2 hours later)
A probe into a scandal involving former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe will be reopened, because one of the key suspects may still be alive. A probe into a scandal involving former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe is to be revisited, after police admitted that a key suspect may still be alive.
A 2015 investigation into the alleged attempted murder of his lover - Norman Scott - was closed in 2017. A 2015 investigation into the alleged attempted murder of Mr Thorpe's lover - Norman Scott - was closed in 2017.
Gwent Police assumed Andrew Newton - who shot Mr Scott's dog and claimed he was paid to kill Mr Scott - had died. But they now say he may still be alive. Gwent Police believed Andrew Newton - who claimed he was paid to kill Mr Scott - had died. But the force has now told the BBC this may not be the case.
Mr Scott said he thought police were "continuing the cover up". Mr Scott said he thought police were continuing a "cover up".
The revelations have been unearthed in the BBC Four documentary The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal. The revelations have been made in the BBC Four documentary The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal.
BBC Panorama journalist Tom Mangold, who has investigated the case since the 1970s, said the investigation had ended because police claimed Newton was dead. New information
Mr Mangold said it "must start again" and he "wouldn't be surprised at all" if Newton was alive, adding: "When I knew Newton he was a fit, young man." Mr Thorpe, who died in 2014, was accused of hiring a hitman to murder Mr Scott but was acquitted at an Old Bailey trial in 1979.
What was the Jeremy Thorpe scandal? The fresh investigation was launched by Gwent Police in 2015 after new claims emerged.
Claims that police altered the evidence of another person being hired to kill Mr Scott before Newton, a small-time air pilot, were unearthed by Mr Mangold in 2014, the year Mr Thorpe died. But the police's belief that Newton - who was convicted of shooting Mr Scott's dog in 1975 - had died, led the Crown Prosecution Service to close it last year.
Dennis Meighan said he was approached by associates of Mr Thorpe, and Newton, to carry out the murder. Gwent Police told documentary makers enquiries made as part of the investigation had "indicated Newton was deceased".
This led to Gwent Police reopening the investigation, but after they concluded Newton was dead, the Crown Prosecution Service told Mr Scott no further action would be taken. But they added: "We have now revisited these enquiries and have identified information which indicates that Newton may still be alive.
Mr Scott, 78, said: "I just don't think anyone's tried hard enough to look for him. I really don't.
"I thought [Gwent Police] were doing something at last and soon found out that absolutely they weren't, they were continuing the cover up as far as I can see."
Gwent Police said after revisiting some enquiries, investigators "identified information, which indicates that Newton may still be alive".
"As a result, further enquiries will be conducted to trace Newton to assess if he is able to assist the investigation.""As a result, further enquiries will be conducted to trace Newton to assess if he is able to assist the investigation."
What was the Jeremy Thorpe scandal?
BBC Panorama journalist Tom Mangold, who has investigated the case since the 1970s, said the 2015 investigation hinged on the story of a man he had met called Dennis Meighan.
Mr Meighan told the veteran reporter he was originally approached to carry out the murder - but he claims his police statement was later doctored to remove incriminating references to the Liberal Party and to Mr Thorpe.
Following Gwent Police's admission that Newton could still be alive, Mr Mangold insisted the investigation "must start again".
And reacting to the news, Mr Scott, 78, told the documentary: "I just don't think anyone's tried hard enough to look for him. I really don't.
"There must be people who knew him and there would surely be a record of him dying.
"I thought [Gwent Police] were doing something at last, and soon found out that absolutely they weren't, they were continuing the cover up as far as I can see."
The programme includes unearthed footage from a Panorama programme from 1979 that was never broadcast for legal reasons, after Mr Thorpe and his three co-defendants were acquitted of conspiracy to murder.The programme includes unearthed footage from a Panorama programme from 1979 that was never broadcast for legal reasons, after Mr Thorpe and his three co-defendants were acquitted of conspiracy to murder.
The director general at the time kept a master copy of the programme but ordered all other copies to be destroyed. But veteran reporter Tom Mangold kept his copy of the report. The director general at the time kept a master copy of the programme but ordered all other copies to be destroyed. But journalist Tom Mangold kept his copy of the report.
The programme will air after the end of the dramatisation A Very British Scandal, which stars Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as Norman Scott.The programme will air after the end of the dramatisation A Very British Scandal, which stars Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as Norman Scott.
The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal will be broadcast on Sunday at 22:00 BST.The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal will be broadcast on Sunday at 22:00 BST.