Norman Scott: "There is obviously a lot of skulduggery that's gone on"
A probe into a scandal involving former Liberal chief Jeremy Thorpe will be reopened after police might have wrongly assumed one of many suspects was lifeless.
A 2015 investigation into the alleged tried homicide of his loverNorman Scottwas closed in 2017.
Gwent Police assumed Andrew Newtonwho shot Mr Scott's canine and claimed he was paid to kill Mr Scotthad died. But they now say he should be alive.
Mr Scott mentioned he thought police have been "continuing the cover up".
The revelations have been unearthed within the BBC Four documentary The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal.
BBC Panorama journalist Tom Mangold, who has investigated the case for the reason that 1970s, mentioned the investigation had ended as a result of police claimed Newton was lifeless.
Mr Mangold mentioned it "must start again" and he "wouldn't be surprised at all" if Newton was alive, including: " When I knew Newton he was a fit, young man."
A have a look at the Jeremy Thorpe scandal, the main target of a new BBC drama with Hugh Grant
- Jeremy Thorpe was the MP for North Devon for 20 years, and chief of the Liberal Party between 1967-76. He died in 2014
- In late 1960 or early 1961 he met Norman Scott, who labored for one in every of Mr Thorpe's pals in Oxfordshire. Mr Scott mentioned the 2 have been lovers, at a time when homos3xuality was unlawful
- Mr Scott spent years making an attempt to disclose the pair's relationship to the General public, then claimed Mr Thorpe conspired with colleagues to have him assassinated
- In 1975, Andrew Newton shot Mr Scott's Great Dane, Rinka, on a rural street in Exmoor, however did not kill Mr Scott after his gun jammed
- Newspapers started reporting Mr Scott's claims after he spoke concerning the relationship in court docket, that means they have been shielded from libel legal guidelines
- Mr Thorpe resigned as chief of the Liberal Party in 1976 over the stories, however denied Mr Scott's allegations. He misplaced his seat in North Devon in 1979
- Mr Thorpe, together with three co-defendants, stood trial. Ex-Liberal MP Peter Bessell, and the failed murderer Newton, gave particulars of the alleged plot. A jury acquitted all 4 in 1979
Claims that police altered the proof of one other individual being employed to kill Mr Scott earlier than Newton, a small-time air pilot, have been unearthed by Mr Mangold in 2014, the yr Mr Thorpe died.
Dennis Meighan mentioned he was approached by associates of Mr Thorpe, and Newton, to hold out the homicide.
This led to Gwent Police reopening the investigation, however after they concluded Newton was lifeless, the Crown Prosecution Service instructed Mr Scott no additional motion would be taken.
Mr Scott, 78, mentioned: "I simply do not suppose anybody's tried arduous sufficient to search for him. I actually do not.
"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 mentioned 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."
The programme consists of unearthed footage from a Panorama programme from 1979 that was by no means broadcast for authorized causes, after Mr Thorpe and his three co-defendants have been acquitted of conspiracy to homicide.
The director normal on the time stored a grasp copy of the programme however ordered all different copies to be destroyed. But veteran reporter Tom Mangold stored his copy of the report.
The programme will air after the tip 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.