What if hitman Andrew Newton had killed Norman Scott as well as Rinka the dog on that fateful night in 1975 and hadn't got caught? Would Jeremy Thorpe's career have continued as if nothing had happened? What difference if any would it have made to the course of British politics over the subsequent years?
By the actual time of the shooting, far too many people knew of the Scott blackmail. Thorpe was far from discreet and Scott left a trail even an inspector of the caliber of Lestrade would be able to follow. The people aware of the blackmail attempt by Scott were:
- Peter Bessell - former Liberal MP, keeper of Thorpe's secrets, his bagman and then living in California. About as reliable and safe as a Pinto.
- Irish Jesuit priest Father Sweetman - to whom Scott confided and who Bessell personally met to refute the claims.
- David Holmes - assistant treasurer of the Liberal Party. Co-conspirator of Bessell and Thorpe in the murder plot. The Baldrick of the group, minus the cunning plan.
- Random builders in North Devon - who discovered a cache of love letters and "compromising photographs" between Scott and Thorpe that Holmes paid for and then left behind in his old house when he moved houses. Yes. That happened.
- Sidney Jacobson - the deputy editor of the "Sunday Mirror," who had those photos and letters given to him by the builders and elected not to use them and passed them on to Thrope, but kept backup copies in his safe, just in case.
- Hugh Emlyn Hooson - Liberal MP, no friend of Thrope, who was told of the affair of by Scott himself.
- David Steel - Liberal MP and future punchline who met Scott as well, when Scott told him off the affair.
- Lord Byers - Liberal in the House of Lords, who presided over a party inquiry into the affair and heard Scott's testimony.
- Gordon Winter - a South African journalist and agent for the South African intelligence agency, who personally met Scott and heard him tell of the affair. Winter also informed his bosses back home in South Africa.
- Tim Keigwin - Conservative MP, who was met by Scott, who told him of the affair.
- John Le Mesurier - carpet salesman, to whom Holmes turned to find a killer.
- George Deakin - a casino slot machine salesman, to whom Le Mesurier turned to find a killer.
That is just first hand knowledge people.
If the shooting takes place, then someone would talk. Thorpe's career would be ruined, he'd go to jail or escape it by the skin of his teeth thanks to terrible judging and horrible prosecution. Liberals would be pulverized. They nearly were during the fracas when it was about a gay man's dog shot on the alleged orders of a leader of a political party. Let's think what a murder for hire, with no "well, they meant to kill his dog to scare him off" bullshit to muddy the waters. And look at the list above. David Steel would be implicated. Questions would be asked as to why no one acted on it. As there is evidence to suggest Reginald Maudling in his then capacity as Home Secretary was told of the proceedings at the time of the Liberal Party inquiry into the affair. We're talking a five-alarm scandal. Thorpe does not walk away from this unharmed. Can't.