Thorpe witness under fierce fire

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 7

Thorpe witness under fierce fire

NZPA-Reuter Minehead

One of Britain's leading lawyers has fiercely crossexamined a former male model, Mr Norman Scott, who alleges he had a homol sexual affair with the Liberal politician, Jeremy Thorpe, in a court hearing marked by drama, pathos, and farce.

The drama came when Mr Scott exclaimed to Sir David Napley, Thorpe’s lawyer: “You are trying to rile me. I am not here on trial, you know. I am here because of that man who has tried to destroy me over a period of years.”

His voice quavering, he said: “I will not be destroyed.”

The pathos came as Sir David questioned Mr Scott about his unhappy childhood, illness, frustration and self-pity. The horse trainer and former model, aged 38, denied Sir David’s suggestions that he resorted to fantasy. The farce came in exchanges over what- Thorpe, aged 49, who led Britain’s Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976, looked like in the nude, and whether he had warts under his arms. Mr Scott had told Sir David: “I don’t think I can take much more of this cross-examination. There is one way of proving there was a relationship.”

He suggested that Thorpe be taken with witnesses to another room, and “I will tell you something I know about him which I could not know if I had not slept with him.”

After the lunch adjournment, Sir David said he would like to take up Mr Scott’s suggestion of carrying out a' personal examination of Thorpe. After some exchanges and a pause. Mr Scott said in a quiet voice: “It is just that Mr Thorpe without his clothes on has warts or nodules under his arm. I am not sure which arm, it could be both. I’m not sure.” Mr Scott also said: “And his spinal column curves.” At this point, one of Thorpe’s co-defendants, a businessman, John le Mesurier, burst into loud laughter. Thorpe smiled. Sir David said: “I don’t propose to have a medical examination under these circumstances.”

While these exchanges were in progress, a composed Thorpe sat back, one leg elegantly crossed over his knee as if sitting in the House of Commons, and grinned. His concert-pianist wife, Marion, in the public gallery smiled. Thorpe, aged 49, is accused with three other men of having plotted to kill Mr Scott to stop him talking about his claim, which he has detailed in court, that he and the politician had a homosexual affair in 1961.

The Minehead Magistrates are sitting to decide whether the four men should be sent for trial on charges of conspiracy to murder. Thorpe also faces an additional charge of incitement to murder.