Barry George
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Barry George (born 15 April 1960) was convicted of the murder of television presenter Jill Dando on 2 July 2001.
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[edit] Early life
Barry George was born in Hammersmith, London. His parents divorced when he was 13. At 14, he attended the public funded Heathermount boarding school for children with emotional or behavioural difficulties.[1] After leaving school without qualifications his only employment was as a messenger with the BBC for four months in 1977. His interest in the corporation endured until his arrest; he was a regular reader of the in-house magazine Ariel, and had reportedly kept four copies of the memorial issue which featured Jill Dando's murder.[1]
[edit] Interest in celebrity
Throughout much of his life Barry George has exhibited an interest in celebrity. He has posed for private photographs as an SAS soldier, pretended to be a professional stuntman and adopted the name Barry Bulsara, after the original surname of Freddie Mercury. He also used the name Paul Gadd, the real name of Gary Glitter, a practice which began while still at school.[1] . He also exhibited an interest in Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles.
[edit] Early criminal convictions
It was revealed after his arrest for the Dando murder that he had on prior occasions been caught attempting to break into Kensington Palace while it was the home of Diana, Princess of Wales. He had been caught on one occasion hiding in the grounds wearing a balaclava and carrying a knife, and in possession of a self-authored poem to Prince Charles.
Police also discovered he had compiled lists with the addresses, descriptions, photographs and car registration numbers of almost one hundred women. Diana, Princess of Wales's was among them, but not apparently Jill Dando's.
In another incident, he posed as a police officer and had obtained false warrant cards. For this, he was arrested and taken to court, where he appeared in glam rock clothing and stated his name for the record to be Paul Gadd, the real name of Gary Glitter.
In 1981 in Derby he organised a stunt in which he jumped over a row of double decker buses on his rollerskates. Hundreds of tickets were sold for the event. Reportedly at the last moment, having seen the platform and ramp which had been constructed, he tried to back down but in the end managed to complete the leap.[1] From 1981 onwards, under the pseudonym of Steve Majors, he was convicted with assaulting many women and served twenty three months in jail for attempted rape, and various charges of assault and sexual harassment.
Between 1981 and 1989. Barry George had also developed a fascination with weapons and had for a brief period been a member of the Territorial Army until failing his basic training. He also had an application refused to join a gun club for lack of a suitable referee.
A psychologist studying Barry George since his arrest for the Dando murder concluded that he was suffering from several different personality disorders. He had also been suffering from epilepsy and this was only discovered after his arrest and may have contributed to his mental problems.[1]
[edit] Conviction for murder of Jill Dando
Jill Dando was shot dead outside her home on 26 April 1999. Barry George was convicted of her murder on 2 July 2001. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. He is presently in Whitemoor prison. The recommended minimum term that he must serve before being considered for parole is currently unknown.
[edit] Controversy
Questions have been raised by some observers about the validity of the guilty verdict. In particular there has been concern about the forensic and eyewitness evidence and the apparent absence of motive.
In 2002, the Appeal Judges' verdict on the evidence, having addressed eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence and the role of the trial judge concluded in rejecting defence claims that the evidence was "flimsy" by asserting that the trial had been "fair".[2]
In March 2006, Barry George's lawyers sought an Appeal on fresh evidence based on medical examinations suggesting he was not capable of committing the crime because of his mental disabilities. A second defence argument is that two new witnesses say they saw armed police at the scene when George was arrested, contrary to official reports about the circumstances of his arrest. The only forensic evidence linking Barry George to the murder was a microscopic particle of what may have been gunshot residue. It is argued that the presence of armed officers and their involvement in his arrest was responsible for this residue. A third part to the appeal is previously undisclosed expert profile reports which support George's defence.
In September 2006, following investigations by George's campaigners and BBC Panorama for a programme about the conviction (first broadcast in the UK 5th September 2006), fresh evidence was submitted to the Criminal Cases Review Commission by the programme-makers and by Barry George's solicitor. The evidence concerns forensic analysis of the alleged gunshot residue, eyewitness evidence, and pyschiatric reports.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which has been investigating the case for two years, will report a final decision "in the near future".[3]
[edit] Notes
Who Killed Jill Dando? by S. C. Lomax discusses all of the evidence from the prosecution and defence and assesses the safety of the conviction.
- ^ a b c d e The Guardian Life and times of Barry George 2 July 2001
- ^ BBC News: Appeal judges' verdict on Dando evidence 29 July 2002
- ^ BBC News: New Dando murder evidence studied 5 September 2006
