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Carl Beech told 'extraordinary tale' of VIP paedophile ring Carl Beech told 'extraordinary tale' of VIP paedophile ring
(about 3 hours later)
A man told police a false "extraordinary tale" of child sexual abuse and murder by public figures, a court has heard. A man told police a false "extraordinary tale" about a group of powerful figures who sexually abused and murdered boys, a court has heard.
Carl Beech, 51, made claims about "three child murders, multiple rapes, kidnapping, false imprisonment and widespread sexual abuse". Carl Beech, 51, is accused of lying about "three child murders, multiple rapes, kidnapping, false imprisonment and widespread sexual abuse".
Those accused included Lord Brittan, Lord Bramall, and ex-MP Harvey Proctor. His claims led to a £2m Metropolitan Police investigation, which ended with no further action being taken.
Mr Beech denies 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud.Mr Beech denies 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud.
Mr Beech, formerly from Gloucester and known as "Nick" when he made the claims, was in Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday as prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC said: "This case concerns the making of false allegations of the most serious kind". Mr Beech, formerly from Gloucester and known as "Nick" when he first made the claims, was in Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday for the start of his trial.
He said the case also relates to claims made "against a showbusiness personality" who he named as Jimmy Savile. He came forward with the allegations to Wiltshire Police in 2012, the court heard.
Mr Beech "claimed that he was the victim of much of the abuse and he was a direct witness to the killing of three young boys", jurors heard. He claimed that he was first sexually abused by his stepfather, Major Ray Beech, when he was seven years old and went on to allege abuse by a group of public figures, including from politics and the military.
The allegations concerned young boys, and the prosecutor said: "It is quite impossible to conceive of allegations of a worse kind to be made." Among those he accused was former Conservative prime minister Sir Edward Heath, ex-Tory home secretary Lord Brittan, former head of the armed forces Lord Bramall and former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor.
"Immeasurable distress" had been caused to those accused and those close to them and they had suffered "obvious reputational damage", said the prosecutor. The jury was told Mr Beech picked his "targets" after browsing the internet.
Mr Proctor has spoken freely in public to defend himself from the charge that "he is a sadistic child killer and that he committed other serious sexual offences", the court heard. Detectives investigated Mr Beech's claims until 2016 when they asked another police force - Northumbria - to investigate the accuser himself.
Jurors were told that, as an entirely innocent man, Mr Proctor is "still enraged". Northumbria Police found elements of his story to be "totally unfounded, hopelessly compromised and irredeemably contradicted", the court heard.
He and Lord Bramall had their homes searched as a result of the allegations. Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC told the jury: "It is quite impossible to conceive of allegations of a worse kind to be made."
He said "immeasurable distress" had been caused to those accused and those close to them - and they had suffered "obvious reputational damage".
Mr Proctor has spoken freely in public to defend himself against the allegation that "he is a sadistic child killer and that he committed other serious sexual offences", the court heard.
Jurors were told that, as an entirely innocent man, Mr Proctor was "still enraged".
Both Mr Proctor and Lord Bramall had their homes searched as a result of the allegations.
Lord Bramall's wife died during the police inquiry - codenamed Operation Midland - and Lord Brittan died while under investigation.Lord Bramall's wife died during the police inquiry - codenamed Operation Midland - and Lord Brittan died while under investigation.
Mr Beech claimed that one of the boys he witnessed being murdered was Martin Allen, a 15-year-old boy who went missing in London in 1979 and has not been seen since, jurors heard. 'Parties where abuse happened'
Mr Beech claimed the abuse happened after school, when he was picked up by a driver and taken to "parties" where there were 10 to 15 men and around seven or eight boys.
Mr Beech "claimed that he was the victim of much of the abuse and he was a direct witness to the killing of three young boys", the court was told.
Mr Beech told police that he witnessed Mr Proctor killing a boy.
Jurors heard how Mr Beech alleged that at an army location, the former head of MI5, Michael Hanley, and the former head of MI6, Maurice Oldfield, subjected him to torture.
Mr Beech claimed he had spiders tipped on him, electric shocks and darts thrown at him.
The court was played a video interview Mr Beech had given to the Met Police in November 2014, during which he cried as he described details of the first alleged murder.
He claimed a schoolmate called "Scott" was deliberately run over in Kingston-upon-Thames in 1979.
The court heard Northumbria Police concluded "there is no supporting evidence whatsoever" to support Mr Beech's account about Scott.
Prosecutor Mr Badenoch told jurors: "There was no such homicide. No missing boy."
Mr Beech also claimed that one of the boys he witnessed being murdered was Martin Allen, a 15-year-old boy who went missing in London in 1979 and has not been seen since, jurors heard.
Martin Allen's brother Kevin was contacted by Scotland Yard in 2014 and told his brother may have been linked to a VIP paedophile ring.Martin Allen's brother Kevin was contacted by Scotland Yard in 2014 and told his brother may have been linked to a VIP paedophile ring.
Mr Badenoch said: "The source of that false hope to Kevin Allen, thirty five years after his brother went missing, was ultimately the false allegations of this defendant, Carl Beech." Mr Badenoch said: "The source of that false hope to Kevin Allen, 35 years after his brother went missing, was ultimately the false allegations of this defendant, Carl Beech."
The court heard that the Metropolitan Police spent £2m investigating the claims and described them publicly as "credible and true". 'Fled to Sweden'
In 2016, when the investigation ended with no further action being taken, the Met asked Northumbria Police to investigate the accuser himself. The court heard how the Met Police spent £2m on their investigation into Mr Beech's claims and described them publicly as "credible and true".
"Carl Beech's own words were at the centre of their investigation and are now at the core of this case," Mr Badenoch said. In 2016, when that investigation ended with no further action, police began investigating Mr Beech himself.
Police searched Mr Beech's Gloucester home in November 2016 and seized several electronic devices.Police searched Mr Beech's Gloucester home in November 2016 and seized several electronic devices.
During their investigation, a number of Mr Beech's claims "were found to be provably false". During their investigation, a number of Mr Beech's claims "were found to be provably false", the court heard.
"He had lied about the content of these allegations, taken active steps to embellish a false story, and then cover his tracks when challenged," Mr Badenoch said."He had lied about the content of these allegations, taken active steps to embellish a false story, and then cover his tracks when challenged," Mr Badenoch said.
When questioned by police about this, he "fled the country and lived overseas as a fugitive" before being located in Sweden.When questioned by police about this, he "fled the country and lived overseas as a fugitive" before being located in Sweden.
The jury also heard that Mr Beech's former teachers had said he had good attendance - contrary to his claims of being taken out of lessons to be abused.
The trial continues.The trial continues.