Acquittal and Lingering Questions

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ACAS powers the world's best podcasts Here's a show that we recommend I'm Monica Reingel, nutritionist, author, and host of the Nutrition Diva podcast We dig into the questions that you're actually asking if it's okay to drink coffee on an empty stomach, whether it's possible to retrain your sweet tooth, which ultra processed foods you might actually want to include in your diet we take a closer look at diet trends. Fact check sketchy claims and track down the science so that you can feel more confident about what's on your plate. New episodes are released every Wednesday Find Nutrition diva on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and be sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss a single episode Acast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere Acast. com In april nineteen ninety nine, the UK was left in a state of shock when TV golden girl Jill Dando was murdered on her own doorstep in broad daylight in the middle of affluent Fulham in West London The person responsible didn't run or panic. They simply walked away from the scene to this day, they've never been caught Jill was one of the most recognizable faces in the country Someone millions of people welcomed into their homes every single week And yet, with no clear motive and no obvious suspect, she was killed at her front door What followed was a huge investigation countless leads and far more questions than answers In this episode of British Murders with W Juart Blues, we're heading to West London to explore the murder of Jill Dandor is a case that shocked the nation. divided opinion and remains unsolved to this day Because sometimes even when something happens in plain sight, Truth is anything but clear Quick one before we dive in, please make sure you're following the podcast or subscribed on YouTube. It's a small action, but it has a big impact on how far the show travels Ratings and reviews are always appreciated genuinely. than you for those. And if you want to go a step further, you can listen A free, get episodes a day early and unlock exclusive content by joining my community at patreon. com forward slash British murders If you type Jill Dando murder into Google You'll get hundreds of thousands of results, nearly a million as it happens Yeah, even if you read every single one of them Non can tell youa for certain killed her Jill was one of the most recognizable faces in the country She was someone millions of people trusted and invited into their homes every single week And at the height of her career, she was shot dead on her own doorstep in broad daylight Clear motive. No murder weapon ever found And decades later, we still have no definitive answers But before we get anywhere near what happened in April of nineteen ninety nine We need to talk about Jill herself. Because this isn't just a case about a murder It' about someone who at the time prettyretty much everyone felt like the new Jill Wendy Dando was born on november ninth, nineteen sixty one in Western Supermare down in Somerset Also known more locally as Simply Western, is a typical British seaside town situated on the Bristol Channel Sandy beaches, an annual carnival and motorbike beach race, an amazing live music and comedy scene Plus some fantastic walks and stunning street art Jill was born at Ashcombe House Maternity homeome, weighing in at a pretty solid nine pounds to her parents Jack and Jean Dando They'd already had one child, Nigel, who was a good few years older So Jill basically completed the family of four They were living in a place called Wirl, which is spelled differently to how it's pronounced And that's a village on the northeast edge of Western parents always said they were over the moon to have a daughter And everything in their lives seemed to be perfect But that would not remain the case for long When Jill was still really young, it became clear something wasn't right with her, physically Her cheeks were constantly red. She'd get out of breath far too easily And her fingernails and toenils would sometimes turn blue It must have been absolutely terrifying for her parents herer brother as well, who later described it as being a very worrying time. which I'm sure was him putting it lightly At just three years old, Jill was taken to Western General Hospital And while there, a leading heart specialist called Dr. Beryl Corner examined her What they found on the back of various tests was serious Jill had a hole in her heart and a blocked pulmonary artery That's a potentially fatal combination of issues So suddenly that happy little family with a smiling toddler was dealing with something life threatening. quickly referred up to Bristol Children's Hospital And on january twelfth, nineteen sixty five, I'll reiterate that she was only three Jill underwent eight hours of groundbreaking heart surgery. Eight long hours her family spent worrying, not knowing what the outcome would be Or if they'd ever see that little girl alive again Thankfully, though, the operation was a success And just a few weeks later, she was running out of the hospital to meet her parents after being discharged, heading home like nothing had happened She continued to have checkups until she was about ten, but that surgery did save her life. And what she did with that life is pretty remarkable For her education, she attended Greenwood Junior School and Worl Infants, where she was apparently a bit of a teacher's favorourite She was a star pupil, even taken on the role of Milk Monitor, a much sought after position in the world of junior school pupils But what stands out the most is that despite everything she'd been through with her arart condition and the surgery She was actually quite sporty by nature And therefore, pretty active She played netball, ran the one hundred meters, and more often than not, she'd win the latter. And that love for keepeping active carried on into her adult life as well Even with a heart murmur, she was out playing tennis and keeping fit Proably more than most of us do now if we're being honest, especially those of us who are office based At the age of eleven, she progressed to Worl School then brought up six form Centre, where she passed two A levels and even became head girl between nineteen seventy nine and nineteen eighty So she wasn't just popular Clearly it switched on as well As a teenager, she had a good group of friends around Weston and picked up a part time job at the local library on Saturdays And it's no surprise that journalism was on a radar for a career. because it was already in the family. brother Nigel had gotten into it Dad had worked as a head compositor for the local paper for nearly four decades Chill going down the same path as her other close family members therefore was basically an inevitability After leaving sixth form, she studied journalism over in Cardiff at the South Glamorgan Institute. But even before that, she'd already started grafting. Aged eighteen, she went straight to the editor of the Western Mercury, a guy called John Bailey. outright asked for a job It was a brave move, but it paid off big time About a month later, in nineteen seventy nine, she was taken on as one of the paper's first female reporters, a huge progressive step at the time And by the sounds of it, she threw herself into the roll with all her might Her employers described her as buubble. friendly and the sort of person where nothing was ever too much trouble She had a way of putting people at ease, which if you're a journalist, is afteralf the battle. Outside her work, she was heavily involved in the Western Dramaic Society taking on lead roles in plays and even helping out at local events. Sometimes accompanying the mayor where needed So she wasn't just chasing stories by putting herself out there She was well and truly part of the community's foundation carried over in a charity work as well Jill volunteered for talking for the Bind and spent time at Western General Hospital's Sunshine Radio It was there where things started to shift because once she got behind a microphone It was obvious she had something about her At around nineteen she started reading news bulletins on the hospital radio station, alongside other reporters from the Mercury And producers quickly picked up on her voice and presence. Before long, she was doing more and more, becoming a regular presenter Then, in nineteen eighty five, she spotted an advert for her role at BBC Radio Devon With nothing to lose, she took a chance and applied Once more, the gamble paid off, and she landed the job She suddenly went from working as a breakfast reporter and presenter to that of a proper broadcaster for a reputable institution But around that same time, there came a really sad moment in her life Her mum Jean passed away after losing her battle with leukemia in january nineteen eighty six. She was just fifty seven. And by all accounts, they were very close Death hit Jill particularly hard, as it does for anyone who loses a parent Still carried on pushing forward. In nineteen eighty seven, she moved into television with IEV's West Country station, TSW before joining the BBC's regional news program Spotlight down in Plymouth And it was there that she started building relationships with people who'd go on to become big names themselves Juliette Morris, Judy Spears, people are that ill Then in nineteen eighty eight, she got her first big TV break BBC executives convinced her to leave the West countountry, which she loved and move to London That was such a monumental step for her turning point in what was already a successful career She went on to join the BBC Breakfast News prorogram as a presenter alongside Bob Wilson and Sally Magnusson And within a year, she was a key part of that show Around that time, she began a relationship with her boss, BBC executive Bob Wheaton, which would last about six and a half years While all that was going on, she was covering major news stories, building her reputation And in nineteen ninety one, she really caught the attention of the general public with a live reporting during the attempted coup in the Soviet Union calm and composed, exactly what people wanted from someone delivering such big news. And from there, her career continued its upward trajectory She soon branched out beyond straight up news reporting by co hosting Safari UK And then in nineteen ninety three, she became the main presenter of Holiday. British travelogue series featuring location reports on holiday destinations from all over the world That's probably what most people remember it for Jetting off worldwide, bringing a bit of sunshine to British teller. In nineteen ninety five, she took on another huge role, joining Crimeewatch alongside Nick Ross And that's important becausecause suddenly she wasn't just a presenter She was a familiar face in people's living rooms when it came to serious crime Apeals, reconstructions, helping catch offenders By the mid to late nineties, she was everywhere. She made guest appearances on shows such as Blanket Blank, The Generation Game, Nonll's House Pie, and Call My Bluff She hosted the six o'clock News, fronted major BBC coverage, and even lined up to earn twenty grand for the millennium broadcast She was at the top of her game Her relationship with Bob Wheaton ended in nineteen ninety seven, reported laid down to work pressures. And after a brief relationship with a national park warden, she met while filming in South Africa. She met someone else Consultant obsteiatrician and gynecologist, Dr. Alan Farin. They were set up on a blind date by a friend as it happens. and things move pretty quickly because they hit it off right away By january nineteen ninety nine, they were engaged plan was to marry later that year in September. So not only was a carea flying personal life seemed to be falling nicely in a place as well What impressed me while researching Jill's background was that Buy all the fame. She never really lost touch with where she came from She was a devout Christian and proud Westonian, always promoting her own town wherever she could. She continued doing loads for charity and all Especially the British Art Foundation, which makes sense given her own history. She even led their British heartweat campaign at one point ome, she supported Western hospice care and helped push for better facilities in the town She even brought the holiday program crew down to film an episode there just to show the place off And right at the end of her life in april nineteen ninety nine, she was launching a brand new show called Antiques Inspectors, which debuted on april twenty fifth That was the night before she died You honestly can't make this stuff up, can you She was also on the cover of the Radio Times at that point, pictured standing in front of an Aston Martin in a leather jumpsuit A real this is your moment kind of thing People called her TV's Golden Girl And it wasn't just media hyperbole. She was genuinely liked by colleagues, other presenters, people behind the scenes and the public Everyone seemed to say the same things about that she was a warm, kind and talented woman. without an eager Nobody had a bad word to say about her And that's what makes what happen next feel so unsettling Because Jill wasn't someone living a risky life full of controversy She was someone who from the outside at least, had everything exactly where she wanted it. The only thing she had that most people don't was famM We're just going to take a quick ad break here. When we return, we're heading straight into the main timeline of this story See you soon This Monday. com ad was created by a team of people and AI agents. The agents wrote the copy and managed the timelines, while our human creative director made sure it all made sense. Easy Create your own AI agent today on Monday. com Hi, I'm Greg Richard. It's hot out there. Chill out with a new air conditioner from PC Richard and Sun. Thousands in stock, every size, every BTU. pllus, we guarantee the lowest prices. PC Richard and Son, the company you can trust Welcome back, R right? Let's get straight into the main timeline. We've now arrived at Monday april twenty sixth, nineteen ninety nine and it's on that date, our main timeline begins. It was a normal spring morning in West London That month was a particularly miserable one in the nation's capital, weatherwise. which archives describe as being unsettled, with no more than two consecutive completely dried eays april twenty sixth was no different, with most of the day featuring some degree of rain. varying from light drizzle to full blown cats and dogs But we're used to that those Brits to Jill and everyone else, it was an ordinary start to the working week. People were commuting Kids were dropped off at school, you know the score So for someone like Jill A woman in the late thirties with no enemies to suddenly be killed in broad daylight outside her own home It just made no sense She lived at number twenty nine Gowen or Gowen Avenue in Fulham, I think it's Gowen. And if you've ever been to that part of London, you'll know it's not some dodgy backstreet. ' a fairly well to do residential road in an affluent area Nice terraced houses with people coming and going non stop Nothing about it sccreams, danger That morning, Jill had actually been at her fiance Allan's place over in Chiswick on Bedford Close. That's where she mainly stayed Her house in Fulham was still hers, but she didn't use it all that often because she hadn't a reason to She left Alens at around ten AM, planning to head over to the Kings's Mall in Hammersmith to do a bit of shopping But then something changed out of the blue While she was driving, she had a phone call with her agent And for whatever reason, she decided to swing by her house in Fulham. Now it wasn't a planned trip this, It was last minute Something about picking up some factaxes is what I gathered from my research And that small decision ended up being crucial Because around ten thirty that morning, around an hour before Jill even arrived A window cleaner noticed a man outside her house He seemingly stood out from the crowd given how neatly dressed he are His age was estimated at being somewhere between thirty five and forty And he had brown hair By the looks of him and based on his behavior It wasn't just passing through He was hanging around this guy paced up and down using what the window cleaner believed was a mobile phone. in nineteen ninety nine wasn't as common as it is now pretends it's something that would catch people's attention Not long after that, another witness spotted a man matching the same description nearby at the junction of Gowon Avenue and Munster Road This time, he was wearing black and sported square glasses, although the person said they looked a bit too big for his face Again it was just lingering, as if he was surveying the scene Th around eleven thirty AM, Jill arrived back at her house She pulled up outside, got out of a car And within moments Something terrible happened And this is where it gets a bit chilling becausecause we don't know for certain whether she was followed there or whether someone was already waiting for her So what we do know is this car alarm suddenly went off, only for a brief moment And about thirty to forty five seconds later, her next door neighbor heard her screaming It was a loud and panic scream, almost a desperate cry for help. But the strange thing was that nobody seems to a heard a gunshot. which considering what actually happened, is bizarre The next door neighbor looked outside and saw a man, again, it was well dressed, who appeared calm while walking away from the scene They said it didn't look flustered at all Not rushed, not panicked Paused was a more accurate word He went about his business as though nothing had happened At roughly the same time, two other neighbourors reported seeing a man running away, heading east towards Fulham Palace Road. Again, their description of him was the same. A white guy. ul in his late thirties to early forties with dark hair and clean shaven He was smartly dressed, respectable looking. One of them said he stopped briefly, opting to turn back and look towards the house before carrying on and disappearing from view Meanwhile, Jill was lying motionless in the doorway of her home consonscious and covered in blood She was found by that neighbor who quickly realized something was seriously wrong At eleven forty four AM the London ambulance service were called and an ambulance arrived on the scene within six minutes, which is incredibly quick The current expected standard for response time in a situation such as Jills is seven minutes according to the NHS I think they call it a C one situation. Whether it was different back then, I can't say But a second ambulance and even an emergency helicopter team were also sent to the scene From the moment they got there, things look bleak So much so that some of the first responders initially thought Jill I'd already passed away Elsewhere, more sights of that smartly dressed man continued pouring in. A school caretaker and a mum out with a child both reported seeing a man clambering over railings in nearby Bishop's Park, heading in the direction of the river Thames Again, he was a white guy And on that occasion was acting a bit off, less composed than some of the other sightings came another sight in A man at a bus stop on Fulham Palace Road was spotted wearing a smart suit with a cream shirt. He was sweating heavily and had a mark on his nose like he'd just taken off a pair of glasses. Perhaps some square glasses that didn't quite fit him But he never boarded a bus and soon disappeared as if by magic. At Jill's h, the paramedics did everything they could before rushing her to Chairing Cross Hospital Yet nothing could be done to save a life. Jill Dando was officially pronounced dead at one hundred three that afternoon after suffering what were described as catastrophic head injuries Just like that, one of the most recognizable faces in the country Gone A murder investigation was launched almost immediately ive Chief Inspector Hamish Campbell takaking the lead But even in those early stages, there was plenty of confusion Post the nature of Jill's injuries was so severe Police didn't initially confirm publicly whether she'd been shot or stabbed Officers were searching her front garden and the surrounding area trying to find a weapon but didn't go into any more detail when it came to the press At the same time, they began going from door to door. Speaking to neighbourors, trying to piece together what had just happened question hanging over the tragedy. was a simple one Why What on earth could it possibly possess someone to murder one of the nation's most beloved TV presenters? persistently smiling woman who wouldn't have armed a fly. Frustright and let there was no obvious motive No obvious signs of say a robbery gone wrong No known threats or enemies Meanwhile, a fiancee Alan was completely in the dark He first got win that something were wrong through a pager message from Jill's agent who had heard rumors about what had happened and was trying to confirm if they were true. Imagine that That's how he finds out something might have happened to his fiance Allan tried to get answers from wherever he could, contacting the police in the meantime But before long, a senior officer he knew turned up at St. Mary's Hospital where he worked And that's where he was told Jill was dead Allan was quite quickly ruled out as a suspect just so you know Andlike everyone, just couldn't fathom what had happened In the hours and days after the murder Police were trying to piece together what people had actually seen And there was a lot of witness testimony to go through Yet none of it quite gave a full picture One of the more dramatic reports came from along the River Thames Police ended up cordoning off part of the footpath near Putney Bridge after someone claimed they'd seen a man jump into the river Not exactly a subtle escape if that man were Jill's killer Officers searched the area, including nearby Bishop's Park, which is only fifty meters away. actually recovered an object from some bushes At the time, there was a lot of speculation about what that object might be Was it the murder weapon or something else linked to the killer. as with a lot in this case, nothing definitive ever seems to come from it And while all that were going on, the attention started to turn towards Jill's place of work Because of course, she was one of the main presenters on Crime Watch a show which ironically attempts to help solve strange cases such as jills. It's worth noting here that earlier in nineteen ninety nine, Jill had actually spoken to the police about concerns for her personal safety before taking on that role with the BBC. in hindsight feels quite chilling Scotland Yard were quick to say there were no solid evidence linking her murder to crrime watchatch didn't stop the theory from taking old People started wondering had someone featured on the show? Criminal Someone who had been caught or exposed decided to take revenge It's not a massive leap, is it? Certainly not beyond the realm of being possible Then there was another angle Back in nineteen ninety eight, there'd been reports that Jill had been stalked by what was described as a super fan A man who'd been sending her letters, making phone calls, even turning up at places he knew she'd be That man was a retired civil servant called John Hull It was in his early sixties at the time Jill was killed and had been fixated on her for around four years Love letters were sent, as were unwanted Valentine's cards It'd went outside the BBC stududios fora putut nes through a front door It got to the point where the BBC actually had to step in and send him a warning letter A which he stopped When Jill was killed, he spoke publicly, saying it was very sad to hear about her death Now I don't think the police ever even considered him as a suspect, but still, feeds into that wider theory that an obsessed Fan in air quotes may have been responsible for her murder Postmartem results soon came back things took a very specific turn after the fact The examination were carried out by home office pathologist Dr. Ian West And he confirmed that Jill had been shot in the side of the head with a nine millimer semi automic handgun at close range A single shot was enough to take the life of a woman just going about a day There were no sign of a struggle nor any defensive wounds Strongly suggested Jill didn't see the attack come in She were likely taken completely by surprise right there on a doorstep as she was about to turn the key She died from a catastrophic brain injury caused by that single bullet detail, the single shot really stood out Because experts started weighing in on what kind of weapon might have been used Some suggested it were likely a beretta An Italian made pistol that's relatively small smallm enough, in fact that from a distance couldould be mistaken for a mobile phone which suddenly makes you think back to those early sight inss the man pering outside a house, apparently on his phone. Was he actually holding a gun Others argued it were more likely something like a browning or a tanfoglio Still a nine millimeter. the sort of weapon more commonly associated with organized crime kind of thing you don't just stumble across It's a weapon from a criminal armore And that led to a bigger question Who would have access to a weapon such as that According to some criminologists, a professional could get older one fairly easily average obsessed fan or stalker Probably not Then again Not everyone agreed Some experts have pointed out that contract killers often use smaller calibber weapons, something quieter and less conspicuous So the use of a nine millimeter doesn't automatically scream professional hit But is the kicker? The gun has never been found Not at the scene, not in the river No wayere Although this is interesting. Years later, an anonymous former police officer claim that the same gun used to kill Jill may have been used in a gangland execution. basased on markings on the bullet But that's never been officially confirmed speaks volumes that they chose to remain anonymous. Por West himself even said that in his experience, single shot killings like this were usually seen in either professional hits or shootings linked to Northern Ireland during the troubles and naturally the execution style theory started gaining traction. Was her murder a hit Was someone hired to kill Jill Dandor Scotland Yard never fully committed to that idea publicly but it were definitely on the table At the same time, the alternative theory is still there. that she was the victim of an obsessed individual Someone fix it at honor simimilar to what's happened with other public figures over the years And then just to make things even more complicated anotherother theory came into play An international one Three days before Jill's murder on april twenty third, nineteen ninety nine NATO bombed the headquarters of radio television Serbia in Belgrade killing sixteen civilian workers The attack was hugely controversial with organizations like Amnesty International later calling it a war crime Around that same time just after Jill's murder, the BBC received a death threat via its switchboard. The target was Tony Hall, the head of news, and the caller claimed to be Serbian He warned that Tony would be the next victim in retaliation for that bombing Gill had also recently frronted an appeal for Kosovan refugees So people started putting two and two together. Were they right to do so though Was this really some kind of political retaliation a message being sent Again, there was no solid evidence to back it up But it's another thread in an already tangled case and something I will discuss further towards the end of this episode, given some recent developments which were revealed last year And of course, there's the more realistic and less James Bond level possibility that this was merely a botched robbery. that Joel was in the wrong place at the wrong time But that one's always fell a bit thin as far as theories go, given the violent nature of the attack While everyone was getting out their armchair detective notebooks, proper detectives were working flat out to solve the murder. to Jill's previous romantic partners, cheheck CCTV around Ammersmith. and gathered statements In total, over a thousand statements were taken as part of the investigation But answers were still severely lacking Just under a month later, on may twenty first, nineteen ninety nine, Jill was laid to rest back in her homometown of Western Supermare Her funeral took place at Clarence Park Baptist Church, where more than two and a half thousand people were in attendance to pay their respects. F friendriends, colleagues, and a huge outpouring from the public becausecause by that point It wasn't just a new starre It was something that had genuinely shaken the country We're going to take one final ad break here. On the other side of it, we'll be discussing the person at the top of detective suspect list. Don't go anywhere This Monday dot com ad was created by a team of people and AI agents. Reese, our content agent, wrote the copy based on our best practices, like mentioning Monday dot com three times. That was the second. Johnny, our coordination agent, built the timeline and kept everyone aligned. Olivia, our human creative director, stayed in the loop because agents are great, but they don't always know when a joke lands. She had one note Tell listeners it only takes minutes to build an agent. So, minutes. Create your own AI agent today on Monday dot comot I'm Greg Richard. It is hot outside and now it's time to cool down. At PC Richard and Sun, we have the largest selection of air conditioners all at the guaranteed lowest prices. Come see our knowledgeable salespeople to help get you the right air conditioner today Right, let's commence with the final portion of this episode. Fast forward nine months to february two thousand, and detectives had finally turned their attention to someone they believed may have been the person who pulled the trigger on that fateful April morning. Someone who lived just five hundred yards away from Jill's home. His name Barry Michael George Now I'm going to hang fire before discussing the police's dealings with George because even now People argue online about who killed Jill and why. You'll see all sorts if you choose to go down the rabbit hole of public forums and social media regarding this case Ething from her murder being an organized crime hit. to Jill knowing something she shouldn't And to be fair, even people close to the cays had their own views Nick Ross, a name many of you will recognize worked alongside Jill on Crimeewatch as I mentioned earlier. And he had a very different take to some of the more outlandish theories. Given his experience presenting that show, I'd suggest his opinion is one worth taking on board But before we get into what Nick thinks, there's a couple of bits worth mentioning because they come up a lot. claims over years that Jill had tried to raise concerns about a pedophile ring within the BBC Allegedly involving well known names. The story goes that she passed this information up the chain in the mid nineties But nothing ever came of it Knowing what we know now about the various BBC scandals, it might not shock you that if that story is true Her concerns were suppressed by the corporation's higher ups I must state that there's no confirmed evidence that links that claim to her murder. But it's one of those theories that refuses to go away Especially given what later came out about figures like Jimmy Savill and Rolph Harris We now know there were serious failings at the BBC around that time abuse that went unchecked for years. People look back and wonder if Jill had stumbled on or something gs no proof tying it to her death but it adds another salient layer all the same She'd also been involved in campaigns to expose pedophiles and at one point had even received death threats serious enough that the BBC reportedly went into lockdown with armed guards on site So when you look at all that You can see why people started asking questions. Well let's get back to Nick Ross On july fourth, nineteen ninety nine, just a couple of months after Jill's murder He wrote a letter directly to the senior investigating officer, laying out his thoughts His theory was a lot simpler. He suggested the killer could be a lone, obsessed individual part of some big conspiracy, nor a professional hitman just one person And his reasoning is actually quite interesting It basically said that when you're on television, especially popular shows such as Crime Watch Your circle of acquaintances isn't in the hundreds is millions People feel like they knowa. Like you're part of their lives sitting in the living room with them Sometimes even the bedroom. Ccause of that The chances of one of those people being unstable obsessed, even dangerous arere a lot higher than we regular folk like to think It's a chilling thought, but it makes sense and I highly recommend you check out Nick's website nickRoss. com for further information It's really detailed. T burry George now He was arrested in the early hours of may twenty fifth, two thousand at his flat on Crookham Road in Fulham. With that it were taken in for questioning just a few days later, was charged with Jill's murder timee it was for years old Straight away you could understand why detectives were interested in speaking to him. It was the son of a retired police officer. apparently at one point wanted to join the force himself But the reason they wanted him was due to his sordid past, made up of a beyond concerning criminal Ira George had a history of stalking women previously been convicted of attempted rape after attacking a twenty year old student near a front door years earlier He served thirty three months for that offence and also faced other accusations of indeccent assault against multiple women Adding to that, when police searched his flat, they found undeveloped photos of local women and four copies of the BBC's in house magazine Aerial featuring Gildando after her death The latter alone raised plenty of eyebrows But then there was the forensic side of things. A scientist found a tiny particle in Barry's coat, a pinpick in size and believed it to be firearms discharge residue Alongside that, a photo was found of imposing with a pistol and wearing what looks like a gas mask Not a great look when you've been investigated for a shooting Police also said he lied repeatedly during questioning So when they put all that together In their minds, they are the man Banks are right as far as they were concerned But here's where it gets complicated George isn't exactly a typical suspect He changed his name to Bulsara after Freddie Mercury's birth surname and even claimed at one point to be his cousin It will later reveal that George had autism Brain damage affecting his frontal lobe Learning difficulties and an IQ of around seventy five, which is a fair bit lower than the national average of ninety nine And it also spent years pretending to be things it wasn't person at a police officer businessman with a fake company E a stunt man At one point going to the length of injuring himself while trying to pull off a motorbike stun in a stadium It was a real Walter Mitty type character, it seems She got this strange mix. A man who was clearly vulnerable but also someone comfortably capable of deception Why did the police zero in on him Witnesses placed him in the area at the time J was shot Reported had been seen in Gowen Avenue hours before the murder and shortly after killing. Two separate witnesses spotted him nearby, acting agitated One of them was so concerned they kept calling the police incident room in the days that followed Even stranger, George allegedly went back to those same witnesses the next day, trying to convince him he'd been there at different times, and that he'd been wearing different clothes. which doesn't exactly scream innocence Further suspicion came when it was revealed he had a history of stock in women under surveillance Back in nineteen eighty three. It'd even been found in the grounds of Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana lived at the time, dressed in combat gear. carrying a knife and a fifteen foot long rope or while wearing a ballach lava. Somehow, he wasn't charged at the time, as he was thought to have mental health issues. He briefly had a wife at one point, but she was reportedly so frightened of him that she fled back to her native Japan after reporting his behavior to the police Years later, she said she believed he was responsible for Jill's murder And despite him denying any interest in Jill or the BBC, Police found camera film showing he'd taken photos of women directly from his teer presenters like Anthea Turner and Sue Richardson. They also found a note with the name of a female Crimeewatch researcher. Then there was the gun. George denied ever earning w But we already know there was an undeveloped photo of him holding one in his hand, posing with weapons concerningly, it were the same type of weapon, a pistol believed to have been used in Jill's murder. Plus he'd previously had weapons training in the territorial army and had been part of a pistol club. The evidence, circumstantial as it may have been, was starting to mount against George His trial commenced in may two thousand one at the old Bayay Yet the only real piece of evidence presented was that tiny speck of gunshot residue. Even at the time, experts admitted it were not conclusive and it was honestly the smallest amount detectable But they argued it was unlikely to just have appeared there by chance. The jury weren't sure what to make of the evidence and ended up deliberating for a good few days, unable to reach a unanimous decision Eventually, Mr. Justice Gage said he would accept a majority verdict And with that, in early july two thousand one, George was found guilty of murder by a ten to one majoritity He received a life sentence on the back of that But his story was far from over He maintained his innocence from day one and tried to appeal his conviction put in two thousand two Judges rejected it the House of Lords also refused to hear his case. Inside prison, things were rough for George, as you might expect time in some of the most notorious prisons our shores have to offer including Belmarsh, which has a reputation for being one of the UK's toughest prisons He ended up being placed on suicide watch after attempting to take his own life before later being moved to another high security prison, HMP Whitemall alongside some of the country's most notorious killers At one point, he told a newspaper he believed he would be killed in prison ling authority would rather he die than reopen the case He kept insisting he didn't kill Jill say, he thought someone from the criminal underworld was responsible At that stage, nobody were listening But years later, things would eventually start to shift The Forensic Science Service began to question the reliability of that supposed key piece of evidence. which led to a review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission or CCR. George went on to appeal his conviction again And that time, his legal team successfully argued that the forensic evidence shouldn't have been relied upon in the way it was At his retrial, the jury never even heard about the gunshot residue. And in august two thousand eight, George was unanimously found not guilty Now this next part is important because we need to make the distinction clear that George was acquitted, not exonerated Legally, that means the court only found there wasn't enough evidence to convict him It doesn't necessarily mean he was proven completely innocent beyond all doubt. It is a subtle difference. I appreciate that But in a case like this, it matters greatly to make it even clearer