Who was Jeremy Thorpe?
The North Devon MP had a glittering political career, helping to revive the party.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe saw himself as a future prime minister.
But he was brought down by a sensational court case in which he was accused of plotting to murder his former gay lover.
The North Devon MP who headed the Liberals in the 1960s and 1970s, had a glittering political career, helping to revive the party.
Mr Thorpe consistently and vigorously denied the fling, but was accused of ordering Mr Scott’s murder – having become concerned about his political career taking a hit as a result of the claims.
There was intense interest in the 31-day Old Bailey trial, in which Mr Thorpe was charged with conspiracy and incitement to murder Mr Scott.
The jury took 52 hours to acquit the politician, along with his close friend David Holmes, then 49, a one-time deputy treasurer of the Liberal Party, and two South Wales businessmen, John Le Mesurier, 49, and George Deakin, 39, a nightclub owner.
Following the case, Mr Thorpe, who was 50 at the time, withdrew into the privacy of his home and family and effectively cut himself off from public life amid ailing health.
He died in 2014 after suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for more than three decades.
