Jill Dando

[MissKittyBeaudelais]

I watched the ITV programme last night about the death of Jill Dando. It was awful and even worse that her killer has not been found and brought to justice. However, Barry George, the man who was wrongly accused and imprisoned for over a decade has never received a penny in compensation. Am I reasonable to think that this is utterly unacceptable? This man, who was arrested it seems for basically “hanging around” and taking photos (he has Aspergers) has received no apology and no financial settlement for the sabotage of his life. I don’t understand this but can only assume it was disability discrimination.

I probably ought not to mention the “village idiot” reference but seeing as I have a diagnosis of Aspergers, I will say that quirky obsessions are often part and parcel of the condition, for many diagnosed with an asd condition. I know autistic people who are bright, intelligent, desperate to fit in and communicate but, their inability to do so, separates them from neurotypical people who then label them as “odd/weirdos/mad/idiots”.

I know of a young man, a teenager, who wanted to “hang out” with other “normal” teens. The others teens were having none of it and derided the kids’ attempts to be friendly. So, this young man took to following, at a distance. He also liked to take photos. Had lots of photos and would go about, on his own, with his camera. One time, the teens took his camera from him and he claimed to have lost it when his parents wanted to know where it was. He was also reported to the police for “standing about, always on his own” (inferring his creepiness)
“Just watching people and taking pictures”. He was reported to the police by a woman at a garage because he was standing outside, watching the cars, taking photos and looking at her. The police came and said what the teenager was doing was wrong and he was to stop. He tried to explain that he was watching people to see what they were like/how they behaved so that he could copy it. When they examined his photo collection it was all cars and car number plates. A short time later, he tried to end his life because he said, he knew he was “weird and would never have friends or a girlfriend”. So, the woman who complained to the police that a boy was looking/staring at her and on his own and behaving like a “weirdo” had no idea of the fact that he was behaving inappropriately because he was trying to learn how to be like others but was trying to do it from a distance, as he’d been continually shunned by his peers.

Good job there was no murder that day, where he lived. Pitch forks would’ve been out.

I’ve no doubt that BG is/ was a dangerous and transgressive man who warranted careful attention during the investigation - but given that there appears to have been no sexual motive to the killing and what we know now about the inadmissible forensic evidence there is literally no case against him.

The Ministry of Justice said compensation can only be paid to those who can demonstrate their innocence. He cannot.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31578422

With due respect, Op, your "friend" isn't (I hope) a convicted rapist?

If Barry George got compo, what would he spend it on. Scratch cards, swords, SAS uniforms and train fares to stalk and harass women probably.

He didn't kill JD, but it's a good job he didn't get compo. Or if he was to get any, it should be paid to a responsible adult to act as a trustee and drip feed it to him at £10 a week, like giving pocket money to a not very bright child.

He didn't kill JD we dint actually know that for sure, we just know there's not enough evidence for a conviction. Two different things, as PPs have said if he was able to prove his innocence he'd be entitled to a healthy amount of compensation, he can't. Doesn't mean he did it, but it doesn't guarantee he didn't.

I watched that documentary and coming across loud and clear was the message that the police felt they had the right man but couldn't prove it.

I dont think he is innocent they just didnt have enough evidence to say it was him.
The fact he had numerous newspaper cutouts of her murder a magazine with her on, was seen by 3 people on Jill Dandos road hours before the murder but claimed he didnt know the road or who Jill was. Had an interest in guns.
Lied through out the interview process.
He isnt an "innocent" man by any means.
He doesnt need any compensation nor should he receive it.

But surely the justice system in this country is innocent untill.proven guilty if they can't prove his guilt then surely (in the eyes of the law at least ) he's innocent?

x2boys but they're 2 separate decisions.

decision 1 - the murder: it has not been proven he committed the murder, so was acquitted (this doesn't necessarily mean he's not guilty).

decision 2 - compensation: he cannot prove his innocence (ie, that someone else is guilty), so he is not entitled to compensation.

while i agree it seems unfair, you can understand why the courts would be reluctant to pay compensation to someone who may actually be guilty, and why they therefore have a high burden of proof before agreeing to pay compensation.

Barbie, the police, one would hope, always believe they have the right man. Fortunately, belief is not evidence.

I think that the ITV documentary should be viewed alongside the BBC documentary The Murder of Jill Dando available on iPlayer here
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003w40/the-murder-of-jill-dando

The BBC documentary spends a lot more time interviewing the investigating police officers and what comes across very clearly to me are officers who are so fond of their hypothesis that they fail to consider it as a provisional hypothesis and fall victim to confirmation bias.

Watching these cops in action reminded me of the excellent series of documentaries, also on BBC, The Yorkshire Ripper Files, 1st episode here on BBC iPlayer

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003m05/the-yorkshire-ripper-files-a-very-british-crime-story-series-1-episode-1

I am also reminded of the murder of Rachel Nickel and the subsequent investigative farce including using a female police offer in a honey trap to try to ensure the completely innocent Colin Stagg into confessing.

This documentary is very good

Rachel Nickell The Untold Story
www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gdnub

One problem that is quite obvious in all of these situations is an over dependence on criminal profiling and a dismissal of old-fashioned investigative policing. The narcissism of certain officers involved is also evident.

Another factor, one that affects the narcissism of the officers, is the involvement of the press and media around these cases. Observing any phenomena always influences the phenomena and this is true of police investigations as much as anything else, possibly more so as egos and reputations are on the line.

FWIW I think that criminal profiling is interesting and may at times be useful, just like intuition can sometimes be helpful and useful, but to take a huge investigation along a trajectory founded on intuition and / or psychological profiling is completely insane, and, as happened in the Rachel Nickel murder and with Peter Sutcliffe, can leave dangerous serial killers free to murder more victims.

They didn’t jump to arrest him as it was almost a year after her death that they arrested him. Several people gave his name/alias to the information line within hours of her death but as it was an alias it detracted the police from investigating him earlier. To be honest, I felt the bbc doc didn’t rehash the BG suspicions in much detail as he was acquitted and so they had to leave it as unsolved. But they really didn’t have any other strong theories and the Serbian theory did not seem to have any traction at all.

There was a docu a couple of weeks back which looked at the other theories round JDs death. It spoke to her family, her best friends, the police investigating at the time, Nick Ross, some other colleagues. I would guess that her fiancé has moved on and didn’t want to take part. General consensus was this was an ordered kill, a hit, an assassination.

I doubt Barry George was capable or orchestrating that.

I don’t think the BBC ordered it either – that’s beyond far fetched

My (armchair) opinion is inclined towards the Serbian theory

I think Jill Dando was on her way to exposing a child abuse ring/paedophilia, very high up BBC, and was silenced. It was a professional pre-meditated killing, she had received death threats via the BBC the year before.

BG was an unsavoury character but he was no hit man.

Agree hoodathunkit, I sincerely hope the police attitudes of those days have been retired along with the practitioners. Very similar to Colin Stagg case, they nearly got away with that one, saved by the judiciary.

Barry George was just a fall guy. The police were under pressure to find the killer and pinned it on him.

@rousette completely agree, I think the same, I think she knew way way too much and the individuals involved knew she would expose it so took measures promptly to ensure that didn’t happen.
I believe it was a professional job by someone who knew what they were doing and most likely had done it many times before.

I think it was a professional hit, for what reason nobody know's
Her fiancee has married

I feel desperately sad for Jill’s family. I don’t think they will ever get answers.

So how do none of her colleagues ever know/speak about this BBC scandal - why didn’t it come out in the Savill enquiry ? I think it's a complete conspiracy theory. I dont buy it.

@HappyHillock - her fiancé, Alan Farthing is now the Royal Gynaecologist - which gives rise to yet more conspiracy theories that he was promoted to buy his silence.

He should of course be compensated for his wrongful conviction and loss of liberty but he’s not a good man.

Poor Jill and her poor family. All theee years and no answers:(

I think it was a professional hit, for what reason nobody knows

Exactly right. Unfortunately, some people just can't admit to not knowing, so make up stuff about paedo rings and the like to make themselves look knowledgeable. But they just come across as complete tits.