Jeremy Thorpe’s gay ex-lover Norman Stt face-to-face wh would-be assass for first time - Mirror Onle

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• THE SECRET, REAL-LIFE LOVE AFFAIR BEHD A VERY ENGLISH SNDALTHE TE STORY BEHD AMAZON’S EXCELLENT NEW MISERI STARRG HUGH GRANT AS BRISH POLICIAN JEREMY THORPE AND BEN WHISHAW AS HIS SECRET LOVER.BY JULIE MILLERJULY 1, 2018LEFT, BEN WHISHAW AS NORMAN STT A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL; RIGHT, THE REAL NORMAN STT.LEFT, BY KIERON MCCARRON/© AMAZON/BLUEPRT TELEVISN; RIGHT, FROM PA/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAMAZON’S A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF PREMIERE PEAK TV PROGRAMMG: PEDIGREE ( HAILS OM OSR-NOMATED DIRECTOR STEPHEN FREARS AND BAFTA-WNG DOCTOR WHO SCREENWRER RSELL T. DAVI); AN IMPECBLE ST (HUGH GRANT AND BEN WHISHAW STAR); AN ENTHRALLG TRAGIEDY OF A PLOT; AND ENOUGH SUMPTUO PERD TRAPPGS TO PETE WH THE CROWN. BUT THE MOST ASTOUNDG ASPECT OF A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL IS THAT S UNBELIEVABLE STORY LE—ADAPTED OM JOHN PRTON’S 2016 BOOK—STEMS OM THE REAL-LIFE CHAOS THAT EPTED AFTER JEREMY THORPE, A DASHG BRISH POLICIAN AND LEAR OF THE LIBERAL PARTY BETWEEN 1967 AND 1976, BROKE OFF A SECRET AFFAIR WH HIS LOVER NORMAN STT. (THE BREAKUP OCCURRED THE EARLY 1960S, BEFORE HOMOSEXUALY WAS CRIMALIZED THE U.K. 1967.)THE BYZANTE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED SPANNED S AND ALL MANNER OF SOAP-OPERA-PRIMED PLOT POTS, CLUDG A POLIL VER-UP, AN ALLEGED MURR PLOT, AND AN ADORABLE, ILL-FATED DOG WHO MEETS AN UNTIMELY END. AHEAD, A TIMELE TO HELP UNTANGLE THE BIZARRE REAL-LIFE EVENTS THAT SPIRED A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL.1959: AT AGE 30, THORPE WS THE NORTH DEVON SEAT FOR THE LIBERAL PARTY. BORN TO A HIGHLY POLIL FAY, THORPE STUDIED AT ETON AND OXFORD BEFORE SEGUEG OM A BRIEF LAW REER TO POLICS. HIS CHARM, GIFT FOR MIMICRY, AND “FLAMBOYANT DRS” (ACRDG TO THE TELEGRAPH, “OCK ATS, STOVE-PIPE TROERS, BRO WAISTATS, BUCKLED SHO, AND EVEN SPATS”) QUALIFIED HIM AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISG POLICIANS OF HIS GENERATN.1961: WHILE VISG A IEND AT KGHAM STABL CHIPPG NORTON, OXFORDSHIRE, THORPE IS TRODUCED TO A STABLE BOY NAMED NORMAN STT. STT, WHO HAD BEEN RAISED LS FORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANC THAN THORPE, IS 11 YEARS YOUNGER THAN THE POLICIAN. DURG A BRIEF NVERSATN, THORPE SUGGTS STT STOP BY THE HOE OF COMMONS SHOULD HE EVER NEED HELP, AND PRENTS HIM WH HIS BS RD.SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, AFTER A FIGHT WH HIS BOSS, STT REPORTEDLY HAS A NERVO BREAKDOWN AND IS ADMTED TO ASHURST CLIC. WHEN HE DISCHARG HIMSELF WEEKS LATER, FEELG AS THOUGH HE HAS NVENIENCED HIS PREV LANDLORD, HE RETRIEV HIS JACK RSELL, NAMED MRS. TISH, AND TAK A TRA TO LONDON TO TAKE THORPE UP ON HIS OFFER.DES LATER, STT TOLD THE SUN, “I WAS 19, MY NFINCE HAD BEEN UNRMED A WAY I’D NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I WAS UNRAVELG. I NTACTED THORPE AND HE SWOOPED .”LEFT, JEREMY THORPE; RIGHT, HUGH GRANT AS JEREMY THORPE A VERY ENGLISH SNDALLEFT, OM KEYSTONE FEATUR/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAG; RIGHT, BY LUDOVIC ROBERT/© AMAZON/BLUEPRT TELEVISN.AT THE HOE OF COMMONS, ACRDG TO PRTON’S BOOK, THORPE V STT TO STAY WH HIM AT HIS MOTHER’S HOE FOR THE NIGHT. THORPE TELLS STT TO TRODUCE HIMSELF TO HIS MOTHER AS A MERAMAN WHO WILL ACPANY THORPE ON AN TERNATNAL TRIP THE NEXT DAY. LATER THAT EVENG, THORPE OFFERS STT A BOOK ABOUT A LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN TWO MEN, AND LATER IS SAID TO BEG A PHYSIL RELATNSHIP WH STT. (THORPE ACKNOWLEDGED A IENDSHIP WH STT, BUT MATAED THE RELATNSHIP WAS NOT PHYSIL.)1961: THORPE WR A LETTER TO A IEND, EXCLAIMG, “HOW I ADORED SF [SAN FRANCIS] . . . CERTALY IS THE ONE CY WHERE A GAY PERSON N LET DOWN HIS FENS AND FEEL EE AND UNHUNTED . . . IF I’M EVER DRIVEN OUT OF PUBLIC LIFE BRA FOR A GAY SNDAL THEN I SHALL SETTLE SF!” (THE EMERGENCE OF THE LETTER, PUBLISHED S LATER BY THE BBC, IS REPORTEDLY WHY THORPE’S LAWYERS DID NOT LET HIM TTIFY THORPE’S 1979 CRIMAL TRIAL.)1962: “THE CHELSEA POLICE [ARE] HAND MISSIV WRTEN BY [THORPE] TO NORMAN STT,” ACRDG TO THE ENOMIST. ONE OF THE LETTERS, WHICH NTAED THE PHRASE “BUNNI N (AND WILL) GO TO FRANCE,” BEME FAMO WHEN WAS LEAKED NEARLY 15 YEARS LATER. (“BUNNY” WAS REPORTEDLY THORPE’S PET NAME FOR STT.) THE LETTER ALSO CLUS THIS TENR SIGN-OFF: “YOURS AFFECTNATELY, JEREMY. I MISS YOU.” STT IS NOT TAKEN SERLY BY THE POLICE.THORPE SENDS HIS IEND AND FELLOW LIBERAL M.P. PETER BSELL TO LLECT HIS LETTERS TO STT AND TO PAY HIM FOR HIS SILENCE. PER THE TELEGRAPH, “PETER BSELL BEME ONE OF THORPE’S CLOST ALLI AND MA HIS BS TO PROTECT THORPE OM STT’S ATTEMPTS TO GO PUBLIC WH THE ALLEGED GAY AFFAIR.”STT LATER TOLD THE SUN THAT THE PAYMENTS VERED “MY RENT, BUT I WAS STILL OWNED BY [THORPE]. HE KEPT ME A POSN WHERE I ULDN’T HELP MYSELF OR BE EE OF HIM. HE WAS ALWAYS THE SHADOWS.” STT CLAIMS THAT THORPE PREVENTED HIM OM GETTG A NATNAL SURANCE RD, WHICH HE NEED TO FD A JOB.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSH1964: STT REPORTEDLY NTU TO TRY TO TELL HIS STORY TO THE POLICE, AS WELL AS PRS, BUT HE IS STILL NOT TAKEN SERLY.1967: THORPE BE THE LIBERAL PARTY LEAR, THE SAME YEAR THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS CRIMALIZED THE U.K.1968: ACRDG TO BSELL, THORPE TELLS HIM, REFERRG TO STT, “WE’VE GOT TO GET RID OF HIM . . . IT IS NO WORSE THAN SHOOTG A SICK DOG.” BSELL ALSO ALLEG THAT THORPE SUGGTS SEVERAL MEANS OF DISPOSG OF STT’S BODY.THE SAME YEAR, THORPE MARRI CAROLE ALLPASS. THOUGH THE WEDDG IS LLED “A SECRET” BY PRS, NEWS MERAS ARE ON HAND TO PTURE THE HAPPY BRI AND GROOM.1969: STT MARRI SUE MYERS, WHO IS PREGNANT WH THE UPLE’S SON BENJAM AT THE TIME. ACRDG TO PRTON’S BOOK, THE BRI’S FATHER CLAR THE MARRIAGE DOOMED HIS WEDDG SPEECH. LATER, THE BRI’S FATHER ALLEGEDLY TELLS THE BRI, “I WISH YOU WERE G HOME WH ME STEAD OF THAT DREADFUL HOMOSEXUAL.”THE SAME YEAR, THORPE AND HIS WIFE WELE THEIR OWN SON, RUPERT.1970: ALLPASS DI SUDNLY A R CRASH.1971: THE LIBERAL PARTY REPORTEDLY NDUCTS AN TERNAL QUIRY TO STT’S ALLEGATNS, BUT FDS NOTHG. OTHER VTIGATNS ARE LNCHED OVER THE YEARS, CLUDG ONE BY SIR RANULPH BAN, THE CHIEF NSTABLE OF DEVON, “AFTER A REPORT OM THE F.B.I. ABOUT AN DISCRETN WH A RENT BOY WHEN THE POLICIAN HAD VISED THE U.S.”1973: THORPE MARRI AGA—THIS TIME TO MARN STE, WHO WAS PREVLY MARRIED TO QUEEN ELIZABETH’S FIRST , GEE LASCELL, 7TH EARL OF HAREWOOD.1974: THORPE’S IEND DAVID HOLM—WHO WAS THE BT MAN ONE OF THORPE’S WEDDGS—APPROACH SEVERAL MEN ABOUT SILENCG STT: JOHN LE MURIER, GEE DEAK, AND ANDREW NEWTON, THE LAST OF WHOM IS ALLEGEDLY PAID £10,000 TO MURR STT. (HOLM, LE MURIER, AND DEAK ARE LATER -FENDANTS THE ATTEMPTED MURR TRIAL WH THORPE.)MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSH1975: “ON OCTOBER 23, 1975, STT ME[ETS] NEWTON, WHO WAS POSG AS A MR HIRED TO PROTECT STT OM A H MAN,” ACRDG TO THE TELEGRAPH. “NEWTON [DRIV] STT OUT TO DARTMOOR WHERE HE SHO[OTS] STT’S PET GREAT DANE, RKA, THEN ALLEGEDLY TRIE[S] TO SHOOT STT HIMSELF, ONLY FOR THE GUN TO JAM AND STT TO N AWAY. NEWTON WAS LATER JAILED FOR TWO YEARS, BUT DID NOT AT THAT STAGE MENTN HIS NNECTN TO THORPE, STEAD SAYG STT WAS BLACKMAILG HIM AND HE WANTED TO IGHTEN HIM OFF.”THE SAME YEAR, AN ANTIQUE-FIREARMS ALER NAMED DENNIS MEIGHAN CLAIMS THAT HE IS APPROACHED BY REPRENTATIV OF THORPE WHO WANT STT “SILENCED.” SEVERAL DAYS LATER, MEIGHAN ALLEGEDLY HAS SEND THOUGHTS AND NFS THE PLOT TO THE POLICE. LATER, MEIGHAN CLAIMS THAT ALL REFERENC TO THORPE HAVE BEEN REMOVED OM THE POLICE REPORT WHAT HE BELIEV TO BE A VER-UP. FOUR YEARS LATER, MEIGHAN WILL NOT BE LLED TO GIVE EVINCE AT THORPE’S HIGH-PROFILE TRIAL.1976: WHILE STT APPEARS URT ON AN UNRELATED D CHARGE, HE ANNOUNC, “I AM BEG HOUND BY PEOPLE THE WHOLE TIME JT BEE OF MY SEXUAL RELATNSHIP WH JEREMY THORPE.” NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH THE CLAIMS FOR THE FIRST TIME.IN MAY, AFTER THE SUNDAY TIM PUBLISH THORPE’S CRIMATG “BUNNI” LETTER TO STT, THORPE RIGNS AS LIBERAL PARTY LEAR.1979: IN A NATNAL ELECTN, THORPE LOS THE PARLIAMENTARY SEAT OM NORTH DEVON THAT HE HAS HAD FOR 20 YEARS.THORPE STANDS TRIAL ON CHARG OF CG AND NSPIRG TO MURR STT. THE WASHGTON POST REPORTS HIS FALL OM GRACE: “JT FIVE YEARS AGO, AS THE CHARISMATIC LEAR OF THE RURGENT LIBERAL PARTY, HE WAS BRA’S MOST DASHG YOUNG POLICIAN. NOW, ASHEN AND HOLLOW-CHEEKED, HE IS A ED MAN WHO LOOKS OLR THAN HIS 50 YEARS AND SEEMS TO BE RECEDG SI HIMSELF.”THORPE DO NOT TTIFY. HIS LAWYER NI HIS CLIENT WAS ENGAGED A PHYSIL RELATNSHIP WH STT, THOUGH HE NCES HIS CLIENT HAD “HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI.” (YEARS LATER, IS REPORTED THAT THE FENSE LAWYER MA THAT ADMISSN EXCHANGE FOR THE PROSECUTN NOT PRENTG A FOUR-PAGE “LOVE LETTER” OM THORPE SCRIBG A TRIP TO SAN FRANCIS ONT OF THE JURY.)STT DO TTIFY, BUT DO NOT APPEAR TO W HIMSELF MUCH SYMPATHY, ACRDG TO THE SAME WASHGTON POST REPORT: “THE STAR WNS ONCE AGA WAS TALL, ANGULAR, AND NERVO NORMAN STT, FAILED SOCIAL CLIMBER, EQUENT PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT, SOMETIME MALE MOL, ERANT SHOW-HORSE TRAER AND FANCIAL PARASE OF A SUCCSN OF MALE AND FEMALE LOVERS AND BENEFACTORS. HE REPEATED THE SAME SNIFFLG MANNER, OFTEN BARELY DIBLE THE HHED URTROOM, HIS TAILED ACUNT OF BEG SCED, KEPT, AND ABANDONED BY THORPE, THEN A YOUNG MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.”THORPE IS ACQUTED OF CHARG, BUT HIS REPUTATN IS ED NOHELS. JUDGE SIR JOSEPH CANTLEY CLOS WH A SPEECH SO PARTIAL—LLG STT “A CROOK, A D, A SPONGER, A WHER, AND A PARASE . . . BUT, OF URSE, HE ULD STILL BE TELLG THE TTH”—THAT SPIR THE FOLLOWG “BIASED JUDGE” SKETCH OM ENGLISH EDIAN PETER COOK.1981: IN ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE HIS REER, THORPE APPLI UNSUCCSFULLY FOR THE JOB OF RACE-RELATNS ADVISER TO THE BBC.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSH2008: IN AN TERVIEW WH THE GUARDIAN, SIX YEARS BEFORE HIS ATH, THORPE SAYS VAGUELY OF HIS RELATNSHIP WH STT, “IF HAPPENED NOW I THK . . . THE PUBLIC WOULD BE KR. BACK THEN THEY WERE VERY TROUBLED BY . . . IT OFFEND THEIR SET OF VALU.”2015: POLICE LNCH AN VTIGATN TO A POTENTIAL EVINCE VER-UP AFTER MEIGHAN—THE ANTIQUE-FIREARMS ALER WHO CLAIMS HE BACKED OUT OF A PLOT TO ASSASSATE STT—APPEARS A RAD 4 DOCUMENTARY BROADST. DURG THE BROADST, MEIGHAN ALLEG THAT THE POLICE SCBBED S REPORT OF ALL CRIMATG RMATN ABOUT BOTH HIM AND THORPE.2017: THE VTIGATN IS CLOSED AFTER THE POLICE TERME THAT NEWTON, A KEY NSPIRATOR, HAD DIED.2018: IN JUNE, THE POLICE ANNOUNCE THAT THE SE MAY BE REOPENED—AFTER THE MAIL POTS OUT THAT NEWTON IS ALIVE AND LIVG UNR THE EXOTIC ALIAS HANN REDW.“INQUIRI WERE PLETED WHICH DITED MR. NEWTON WAS CEASED. WE HAVE NOW REVISED THE QUIRI AND HAVE INTIFIED RMATN WHICH DIT THAT MR. NEWTON MAY STILL BE ALIVE,” ADM THE GWENT POLICE.AFTER THAT EMBARRASSG REPORT, STT TELLS THE BBC THAT HE IS NSIRG FILG A FORMAL PLAT WH THE INPENNT OFFICE FOR POLICE CONDUCT (I.O.P.C.) OVER THE BUNGLED HANDLG OF THE VTIGATN. “I JT DON’T THK ANYONE’S TRIED HARD ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR HIM,” STT TELLS THE FILMMAKERS OF BBC FOUR’S THE JEREMY THORPE SNDAL DOCUMENTARY, WHICH WAS BROADST THE U.K. THIS PAST MONTH. “I THOUGHT [GWENT POLICE] WERE DOG SOMETHG AT LAST AND SOON FOUND OUT THAT ABSOLUTELY THEY WEREN’T: THEY WERE NTUG THE VER-UP AS FAR AS I N SEE.”MEANWHILE, AMAZON BUTS S OWN VERSN OF A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL, WH WHISHAW PLAYG STT TO GRANT’S THORPE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR STT, HE DO NOT FEEL AS THOUGH HE WAS AFFORD A FAIR TRIAL THIS CIRCUMSTANCE EHER. THOUGH HE LLS WHISHAW A “WONRFUL ACTOR,” STT IS NOT SATISFIED WH THE PICTN. “THROUGHOUT THE FILM I’M PORTRAYED AS THIS POOR, MCG, LTLE GAY PERSON,” STT TELLS THE IRISH NEWS. “IT’S RIDICULO. I ALSO E ACROSS AS A WEAKLG AND I’VE NEVER BEEN A WEAKLG. MY IENDS WILL BE HORRIFIED WHEN THEY SEE .” OF THE TONE OF THE MISERI, STT SAYS, “SADLY THEY’VE ALSO TURNED TO A B OF A EDY. IT’S FAR TOO LIGHT, GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED . . . THERE’S NOTHG FUNNY ABOUT SOMEONE TRYG TO KILL YOU.”JULIE MILLER
• NORMAN GAY(I)
• NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON
• NORMAN GAY
• JEREMY THORPE’S GAY EX-LOVER NORMAN STT FACE-TO-FACE WH WOULD-BE ASSASS FOR FIRST TIME

THE SECRET, REAL-LIFE LOVE AFFAIR BEHD A VERY ENGLISH SNDALTHE TE STORY BEHD AMAZON’S EXCELLENT NEW MISERI STARRG HUGH GRANT AS BRISH POLICIAN JEREMY THORPE AND BEN WHISHAW AS HIS SECRET LOVER.BY JULIE MILLERJULY 1, 2018LEFT, BEN WHISHAW AS NORMAN STT A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL; RIGHT, THE REAL NORMAN STT.LEFT, BY KIERON MCCARRON/© AMAZON/BLUEPRT TELEVISN; RIGHT, FROM PA/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAMAZON’S A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF PREMIERE PEAK TV PROGRAMMG: PEDIGREE ( HAILS OM OSR-NOMATED DIRECTOR STEPHEN FREARS AND BAFTA-WNG DOCTOR WHO SCREENWRER RSELL T. DAVI); AN IMPECBLE ST (HUGH GRANT AND BEN WHISHAW STAR); AN ENTHRALLG TRAGIEDY OF A PLOT; AND ENOUGH SUMPTUO PERD TRAPPGS TO PETE WH THE CROWN. BUT THE MOST ASTOUNDG ASPECT OF A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL IS THAT S UNBELIEVABLE STORY LE—ADAPTED OM JOHN PRTON’S 2016 BOOK—STEMS OM THE REAL-LIFE CHAOS THAT EPTED AFTER JEREMY THORPE, A DASHG BRISH POLICIAN AND LEAR OF THE LIBERAL PARTY BETWEEN 1967 AND 1976, BROKE OFF A SECRET AFFAIR WH HIS LOVER NORMAN STT. (THE BREAKUP OCCURRED THE EARLY 1960S, BEFORE HOMOSEXUALY WAS CRIMALIZED THE U.K. 1967.)THE BYZANTE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED SPANNED S AND ALL MANNER OF SOAP-OPERA-PRIMED PLOT POTS, CLUDG A POLIL VER-UP, AN ALLEGED MURR PLOT, AND AN ADORABLE, ILL-FATED DOG WHO MEETS AN UNTIMELY END. AHEAD, A TIMELE TO HELP UNTANGLE THE BIZARRE REAL-LIFE EVENTS THAT SPIRED A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL.1959: AT AGE 30, THORPE WS THE NORTH DEVON SEAT FOR THE LIBERAL PARTY. BORN TO A HIGHLY POLIL FAY, THORPE STUDIED AT ETON AND OXFORD BEFORE SEGUEG OM A BRIEF LAW REER TO POLICS. HIS CHARM, GIFT FOR MIMICRY, AND “FLAMBOYANT DRS” (ACRDG TO THE TELEGRAPH, “OCK ATS, STOVE-PIPE TROERS, BRO WAISTATS, BUCKLED SHO, AND EVEN SPATS”) QUALIFIED HIM AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISG POLICIANS OF HIS GENERATN.1961: WHILE VISG A IEND AT KGHAM STABL CHIPPG NORTON, OXFORDSHIRE, THORPE IS TRODUCED TO A STABLE BOY NAMED NORMAN STT. STT, WHO HAD BEEN RAISED LS FORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANC THAN THORPE, IS 11 YEARS YOUNGER THAN THE POLICIAN. DURG A BRIEF NVERSATN, THORPE SUGGTS STT STOP BY THE HOE OF COMMONS SHOULD HE EVER NEED HELP, AND PRENTS HIM WH HIS BS RD.SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, AFTER A FIGHT WH HIS BOSS, STT REPORTEDLY HAS A NERVO BREAKDOWN AND IS ADMTED TO ASHURST CLIC. WHEN HE DISCHARG HIMSELF WEEKS LATER, FEELG AS THOUGH HE HAS NVENIENCED HIS PREV LANDLORD, HE RETRIEV HIS JACK RSELL, NAMED MRS. TISH, AND TAK A TRA TO LONDON TO TAKE THORPE UP ON HIS OFFER.DES LATER, STT TOLD THE SUN, “I WAS 19, MY NFINCE HAD BEEN UNRMED A WAY I’D NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I WAS UNRAVELG. I NTACTED THORPE AND HE SWOOPED .”LEFT, JEREMY THORPE; RIGHT, HUGH GRANT AS JEREMY THORPE A VERY ENGLISH SNDALLEFT, OM KEYSTONE FEATUR/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAG; RIGHT, BY LUDOVIC ROBERT/© AMAZON/BLUEPRT TELEVISN.AT THE HOE OF COMMONS, ACRDG TO PRTON’S BOOK, THORPE V STT TO STAY WH HIM AT HIS MOTHER’S HOE FOR THE NIGHT. THORPE TELLS STT TO TRODUCE HIMSELF TO HIS MOTHER AS A MERAMAN WHO WILL ACPANY THORPE ON AN TERNATNAL TRIP THE NEXT DAY. LATER THAT EVENG, THORPE OFFERS STT A BOOK ABOUT A LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN TWO MEN, AND LATER IS SAID TO BEG A PHYSIL RELATNSHIP WH STT. (THORPE ACKNOWLEDGED A IENDSHIP WH STT, BUT MATAED THE RELATNSHIP WAS NOT PHYSIL.)1961: THORPE WR A LETTER TO A IEND, EXCLAIMG, “HOW I ADORED SF [SAN FRANCIS] . . . CERTALY IS THE ONE CY WHERE A GAY PERSON N LET DOWN HIS FENS AND FEEL EE AND UNHUNTED . . . IF I’M EVER DRIVEN OUT OF PUBLIC LIFE BRA FOR A GAY SNDAL THEN I SHALL SETTLE SF!” (THE EMERGENCE OF THE LETTER, PUBLISHED S LATER BY THE BBC, IS REPORTEDLY WHY THORPE’S LAWYERS DID NOT LET HIM TTIFY THORPE’S 1979 CRIMAL TRIAL.)1962: “THE CHELSEA POLICE [ARE] HAND MISSIV WRTEN BY [THORPE] TO NORMAN STT,” ACRDG TO THE ENOMIST. ONE OF THE LETTERS, WHICH NTAED THE PHRASE “BUNNI N (AND WILL) GO TO FRANCE,” BEME FAMO WHEN WAS LEAKED NEARLY 15 YEARS LATER. (“BUNNY” WAS REPORTEDLY THORPE’S PET NAME FOR STT.) THE LETTER ALSO CLUS THIS TENR SIGN-OFF: “YOURS AFFECTNATELY, JEREMY. I MISS YOU.” STT IS NOT TAKEN SERLY BY THE POLICE.THORPE SENDS HIS IEND AND FELLOW LIBERAL M.P. PETER BSELL TO LLECT HIS LETTERS TO STT AND TO PAY HIM FOR HIS SILENCE. PER THE TELEGRAPH, “PETER BSELL BEME ONE OF THORPE’S CLOST ALLI AND MA HIS BS TO PROTECT THORPE OM STT’S ATTEMPTS TO GO PUBLIC WH THE ALLEGED GAY AFFAIR.”STT LATER TOLD THE SUN THAT THE PAYMENTS VERED “MY RENT, BUT I WAS STILL OWNED BY [THORPE]. HE KEPT ME A POSN WHERE I ULDN’T HELP MYSELF OR BE EE OF HIM. HE WAS ALWAYS THE SHADOWS.” STT CLAIMS THAT THORPE PREVENTED HIM OM GETTG A NATNAL SURANCE RD, WHICH HE NEED TO FD A JOB.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSH1964: STT REPORTEDLY NTU TO TRY TO TELL HIS STORY TO THE POLICE, AS WELL AS PRS, BUT HE IS STILL NOT TAKEN SERLY.1967: THORPE BE THE LIBERAL PARTY LEAR, THE SAME YEAR THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS CRIMALIZED THE U.K.1968: ACRDG TO BSELL, THORPE TELLS HIM, REFERRG TO STT, “WE’VE GOT TO GET RID OF HIM . . . IT IS NO WORSE THAN SHOOTG A SICK DOG.” BSELL ALSO ALLEG THAT THORPE SUGGTS SEVERAL MEANS OF DISPOSG OF STT’S BODY.THE SAME YEAR, THORPE MARRI CAROLE ALLPASS. THOUGH THE WEDDG IS LLED “A SECRET” BY PRS, NEWS MERAS ARE ON HAND TO PTURE THE HAPPY BRI AND GROOM.1969: STT MARRI SUE MYERS, WHO IS PREGNANT WH THE UPLE’S SON BENJAM AT THE TIME. ACRDG TO PRTON’S BOOK, THE BRI’S FATHER CLAR THE MARRIAGE DOOMED HIS WEDDG SPEECH. LATER, THE BRI’S FATHER ALLEGEDLY TELLS THE BRI, “I WISH YOU WERE G HOME WH ME STEAD OF THAT DREADFUL HOMOSEXUAL.”THE SAME YEAR, THORPE AND HIS WIFE WELE THEIR OWN SON, RUPERT.1970: ALLPASS DI SUDNLY A R CRASH.1971: THE LIBERAL PARTY REPORTEDLY NDUCTS AN TERNAL QUIRY TO STT’S ALLEGATNS, BUT FDS NOTHG. OTHER VTIGATNS ARE LNCHED OVER THE YEARS, CLUDG ONE BY SIR RANULPH BAN, THE CHIEF NSTABLE OF DEVON, “AFTER A REPORT OM THE F.B.I. ABOUT AN DISCRETN WH A RENT BOY WHEN THE POLICIAN HAD VISED THE U.S.”1973: THORPE MARRI AGA—THIS TIME TO MARN STE, WHO WAS PREVLY MARRIED TO QUEEN ELIZABETH’S FIRST , GEE LASCELL, 7TH EARL OF HAREWOOD.1974: THORPE’S IEND DAVID HOLM—WHO WAS THE BT MAN ONE OF THORPE’S WEDDGS—APPROACH SEVERAL MEN ABOUT SILENCG STT: JOHN LE MURIER, GEE DEAK, AND ANDREW NEWTON, THE LAST OF WHOM IS ALLEGEDLY PAID £10,000 TO MURR STT. (HOLM, LE MURIER, AND DEAK ARE LATER -FENDANTS THE ATTEMPTED MURR TRIAL WH THORPE.)MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSH1975: “ON OCTOBER 23, 1975, STT ME[ETS] NEWTON, WHO WAS POSG AS A MR HIRED TO PROTECT STT OM A H MAN,” ACRDG TO THE TELEGRAPH. “NEWTON [DRIV] STT OUT TO DARTMOOR WHERE HE SHO[OTS] STT’S PET GREAT DANE, RKA, THEN ALLEGEDLY TRIE[S] TO SHOOT STT HIMSELF, ONLY FOR THE GUN TO JAM AND STT TO N AWAY. NEWTON WAS LATER JAILED FOR TWO YEARS, BUT DID NOT AT THAT STAGE MENTN HIS NNECTN TO THORPE, STEAD SAYG STT WAS BLACKMAILG HIM AND HE WANTED TO IGHTEN HIM OFF.”THE SAME YEAR, AN ANTIQUE-FIREARMS ALER NAMED DENNIS MEIGHAN CLAIMS THAT HE IS APPROACHED BY REPRENTATIV OF THORPE WHO WANT STT “SILENCED.” SEVERAL DAYS LATER, MEIGHAN ALLEGEDLY HAS SEND THOUGHTS AND NFS THE PLOT TO THE POLICE. LATER, MEIGHAN CLAIMS THAT ALL REFERENC TO THORPE HAVE BEEN REMOVED OM THE POLICE REPORT WHAT HE BELIEV TO BE A VER-UP. FOUR YEARS LATER, MEIGHAN WILL NOT BE LLED TO GIVE EVINCE AT THORPE’S HIGH-PROFILE TRIAL.1976: WHILE STT APPEARS URT ON AN UNRELATED D CHARGE, HE ANNOUNC, “I AM BEG HOUND BY PEOPLE THE WHOLE TIME JT BEE OF MY SEXUAL RELATNSHIP WH JEREMY THORPE.” NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH THE CLAIMS FOR THE FIRST TIME.IN MAY, AFTER THE SUNDAY TIM PUBLISH THORPE’S CRIMATG “BUNNI” LETTER TO STT, THORPE RIGNS AS LIBERAL PARTY LEAR.1979: IN A NATNAL ELECTN, THORPE LOS THE PARLIAMENTARY SEAT OM NORTH DEVON THAT HE HAS HAD FOR 20 YEARS.THORPE STANDS TRIAL ON CHARG OF CG AND NSPIRG TO MURR STT. THE WASHGTON POST REPORTS HIS FALL OM GRACE: “JT FIVE YEARS AGO, AS THE CHARISMATIC LEAR OF THE RURGENT LIBERAL PARTY, HE WAS BRA’S MOST DASHG YOUNG POLICIAN. NOW, ASHEN AND HOLLOW-CHEEKED, HE IS A ED MAN WHO LOOKS OLR THAN HIS 50 YEARS AND SEEMS TO BE RECEDG SI HIMSELF.”THORPE DO NOT TTIFY. HIS LAWYER NI HIS CLIENT WAS ENGAGED A PHYSIL RELATNSHIP WH STT, THOUGH HE NCES HIS CLIENT HAD “HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI.” (YEARS LATER, IS REPORTED THAT THE FENSE LAWYER MA THAT ADMISSN EXCHANGE FOR THE PROSECUTN NOT PRENTG A FOUR-PAGE “LOVE LETTER” OM THORPE SCRIBG A TRIP TO SAN FRANCIS ONT OF THE JURY.)STT DO TTIFY, BUT DO NOT APPEAR TO W HIMSELF MUCH SYMPATHY, ACRDG TO THE SAME WASHGTON POST REPORT: “THE STAR WNS ONCE AGA WAS TALL, ANGULAR, AND NERVO NORMAN STT, FAILED SOCIAL CLIMBER, EQUENT PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT, SOMETIME MALE MOL, ERANT SHOW-HORSE TRAER AND FANCIAL PARASE OF A SUCCSN OF MALE AND FEMALE LOVERS AND BENEFACTORS. HE REPEATED THE SAME SNIFFLG MANNER, OFTEN BARELY DIBLE THE HHED URTROOM, HIS TAILED ACUNT OF BEG SCED, KEPT, AND ABANDONED BY THORPE, THEN A YOUNG MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.”THORPE IS ACQUTED OF CHARG, BUT HIS REPUTATN IS ED NOHELS. JUDGE SIR JOSEPH CANTLEY CLOS WH A SPEECH SO PARTIAL—LLG STT “A CROOK, A D, A SPONGER, A WHER, AND A PARASE . . . BUT, OF URSE, HE ULD STILL BE TELLG THE TTH”—THAT SPIR THE FOLLOWG “BIASED JUDGE” SKETCH OM ENGLISH EDIAN PETER COOK.1981: IN ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE HIS REER, THORPE APPLI UNSUCCSFULLY FOR THE JOB OF RACE-RELATNS ADVISER TO THE BBC.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSH2008: IN AN TERVIEW WH THE GUARDIAN, SIX YEARS BEFORE HIS ATH, THORPE SAYS VAGUELY OF HIS RELATNSHIP WH STT, “IF HAPPENED NOW I THK . . . THE PUBLIC WOULD BE KR. BACK THEN THEY WERE VERY TROUBLED BY . . . IT OFFEND THEIR SET OF VALU.”2015: POLICE LNCH AN VTIGATN TO A POTENTIAL EVINCE VER-UP AFTER MEIGHAN—THE ANTIQUE-FIREARMS ALER WHO CLAIMS HE BACKED OUT OF A PLOT TO ASSASSATE STT—APPEARS A RAD 4 DOCUMENTARY BROADST. DURG THE BROADST, MEIGHAN ALLEG THAT THE POLICE SCBBED S REPORT OF ALL CRIMATG RMATN ABOUT BOTH HIM AND THORPE.2017: THE VTIGATN IS CLOSED AFTER THE POLICE TERME THAT NEWTON, A KEY NSPIRATOR, HAD DIED.2018: IN JUNE, THE POLICE ANNOUNCE THAT THE SE MAY BE REOPENED—AFTER THE MAIL POTS OUT THAT NEWTON IS ALIVE AND LIVG UNR THE EXOTIC ALIAS HANN REDW.“INQUIRI WERE PLETED WHICH DITED MR. NEWTON WAS CEASED. WE HAVE NOW REVISED THE QUIRI AND HAVE INTIFIED RMATN WHICH DIT THAT MR. NEWTON MAY STILL BE ALIVE,” ADM THE GWENT POLICE.AFTER THAT EMBARRASSG REPORT, STT TELLS THE BBC THAT HE IS NSIRG FILG A FORMAL PLAT WH THE INPENNT OFFICE FOR POLICE CONDUCT (I.O.P.C.) OVER THE BUNGLED HANDLG OF THE VTIGATN. “I JT DON’T THK ANYONE’S TRIED HARD ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR HIM,” STT TELLS THE FILMMAKERS OF BBC FOUR’S THE JEREMY THORPE SNDAL DOCUMENTARY, WHICH WAS BROADST THE U.K. THIS PAST MONTH. “I THOUGHT [GWENT POLICE] WERE DOG SOMETHG AT LAST AND SOON FOUND OUT THAT ABSOLUTELY THEY WEREN’T: THEY WERE NTUG THE VER-UP AS FAR AS I N SEE.”MEANWHILE, AMAZON BUTS S OWN VERSN OF A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL, WH WHISHAW PLAYG STT TO GRANT’S THORPE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR STT, HE DO NOT FEEL AS THOUGH HE WAS AFFORD A FAIR TRIAL THIS CIRCUMSTANCE EHER. THOUGH HE LLS WHISHAW A “WONRFUL ACTOR,” STT IS NOT SATISFIED WH THE PICTN. “THROUGHOUT THE FILM I’M PORTRAYED AS THIS POOR, MCG, LTLE GAY PERSON,” STT TELLS THE IRISH NEWS. “IT’S RIDICULO. I ALSO E ACROSS AS A WEAKLG AND I’VE NEVER BEEN A WEAKLG. MY IENDS WILL BE HORRIFIED WHEN THEY SEE .” OF THE TONE OF THE MISERI, STT SAYS, “SADLY THEY’VE ALSO TURNED TO A B OF A EDY. IT’S FAR TOO LIGHT, GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED . . . THERE’S NOTHG FUNNY ABOUT SOMEONE TRYG TO KILL YOU.”JULIE MILLER

(The breakup occurred the early 1960s, before homosexualy was crimalized the U.

Certaly is the one cy where a gay person n let down his fens and feel ee and unhunted...

If I’m ever driven out of public life Bra for a gay sndal then I shall settle SF!

NORMAN GAY(I)

Per The Telegraph, “Peter Bsell beme one of Thorpe’s clost alli and ma his bs to protect Thorpe om Stt’s attempts to go public wh the alleged gay affair. Ben Whishaw has won a Goln gay actor triumphed the tegory of Bt Actor a Supportg Role a Seri, Limed Seri or Motn Picture Ma for Televisn for A Very English his acceptance speech, Whishaw thanked the ual spects of work (BBC) and star (Hugh Grant), but he also paid tribute to the man he portrayed, Norman Stt. The only other nomated gay actor was Pose's Billy Porter, who lost his tegory.

)More From Town & CountryThough the tular sndal may be sgular but the story's many layers of ntroversy punctured the sulary of mid-century Bra: The shockg fact of a polician acced of a monstro act; the illic relatnship between two men at a time of wispread homophobia; and the power and class dispary between Thorpe, a wealthy polician, and Stt, a stable the trailer:This ntent is imported om youTube. '"It was a dangero time to be gay. While there was some grassroots support for the LGBTQ muny, and a 1967 act had crimalized homosexualy, same-sex relatnships were still wily reviled the era.

Thorpe's Liberal party supported ntued chang to the laws, but the Labour and Conservative parti would have ltle to do wh the nascent gay rights SttStt, also known as Norman Josiffe, is wily scribed as a "stable boy and aspirg mol, " claimed that he and Thorpe had a brief flg the early 1960s.

NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON

"If you talk to all of those Liberal policians to this day, they say the thg that ma them never want to have anythg to do wh Thorpe aga was not beg gay, was not tryg to kill someone— was the money.

FAQ4Powered by AlexaWhat is Norman Gay known for? Is Norman Gay married?

How many awards has Norman Gay won? Before 1976, gay venu London me two tegori. There were the members’ clubs that provid dner and dance, pl baret, for the stately-homo set.

NORMAN GAY

DJ Tricky Dicky was one of the first promoters to grasp the ia of the one-nighter – hirg out a pub or bar for the night, jt to put on a gay night.

His Dick’s Inn Gay Dis operated out of straight venu as far afield
 as Croydon, Ilford, Bishopsgate and Eton, packg a few hundred gay boys and girls at a time. Wh his pop and soul mic reviews and dis chart Gay News, Tricky Dicky received verage om a gay prs more terted polics, cema, theatre and opera than the mercial gay 1975 Tricky Dicky held a one-nighter lled Fangs unrneath a hotel Paddgton and, much to his surprise, the place was full to pacy, wh 600 dancg queens 
lappg up every mute. The night didn’t last long
 due to terference om
 the venue’s owners, who
 were none too happy about
 homos takg over their 
space.

1976 was a groundbreakg year for gay dis London, thanks to the arrival of Bang, London’s first gay superclub. Gary London, already rint at the Sundowner on straight nights, took his spiratn for Bang om the big gay clubs 
of New York, LA and San Francis. For London’s scenters and disphil, a trip to Bang s early days, wh s vastns and hedonistic dis energy, uld be as liberatg as gog on a Gay Pri march (whose numbers those days were srcely bigger than a Bang crowd).

JEREMY THORPE’S GAY EX-LOVER NORMAN STT FACE-TO-FACE WH WOULD-BE ASSASS FOR FIRST TIME

Speakg at the time Gay News, London proselytised for the newly overground clubs: “Diss create the right environment for gays. Legendary gay dis DJ Talullah, who
 up until his untimely ath 2008 was still DJg London and abroad, had first-hand experience of New York dis at s height.