1979: Thorpe cleared of murder charges
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe has walked out of the Old Bailey a free man, after a jury cleared him of the attempted murder of Norman Scott.
Mr Thorpe, who resigned as leader in 1976 amid allegations that he had had a homosexual affair with Mr Scott, hailed his acquittal as "a complete vindication".
Mr Thorpe and three other men were charged with conspiracy to murder, after the bungled assassination attempt of Mr Scott on a deserted moor in Southern England.
All were found not guilty. It took the jury 15 hours of deliberation spread over three days to reach its verdict. Mr Thorpe was also acquitted on a charge of inciting one of his co-defendants, David Holmes, to murder Mr Scott.
The trial lasted 31 days but Mr Thorpe's ordeal began when he was charged last August.
Although he was found not guilty, the case has probably ruined Mr Thorpe's political career.
As the verdict was read out he sat motionless. Afterwards he leant over to give his wife a long kiss.
Speaking later he said: "I have always maintained that I was innocent of the charges brought against me and the verdict of the jury, after a prolonged and careful investigation by them, I regard as totally fair and a complete vindication."
He added that he would be taking "a short period of rest" away from the glare of publicity.
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