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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
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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 7 hours later) | |
| 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 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 Mr Thorpe's 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 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. | 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 a "cover-up". | |
| The revelations have been made in the BBC Four documentary The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal. | The revelations have been made in the BBC Four documentary The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal. |
| Following the BBC's revelations, the Mail on Sunday said it had tracked down Mr Newton - living under a different name - in Surrey. | |
| The paper has published what it claims is a picture of Mr Newton, taken on Saturday. The man's face cannot be seen. | |
| New information | New information |
| 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. | 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. |
| The fresh investigation was launched by Gwent Police in 2015 after new claims emerged. | The fresh investigation was launched by Gwent Police in 2015 after new claims emerged. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Gwent Police told documentary makers enquiries made as part of the investigation had "indicated Newton was deceased". | Gwent Police told documentary makers enquiries made as part of the investigation had "indicated Newton was deceased". |
| But they added: "We have now revisited these enquiries and have identified information which indicates that Newton may still be alive." | |
| The force said it planned to assess if Mr Newton "is able to assist the investigation". | |
| When asked on Saturday night about the Mail on Sunday's claims to have tracked Mr Newton to Surrey, Gwent Police said it had "lines of inquiry open" but would not provide further comment "at this time". | |
| What was the Jeremy Thorpe scandal? | 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. | 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. | 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". | 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. | 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. | "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." | "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 journalist 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. |