So...who did kill Jill Dando? | Daily Star Latest News So...who did kill Jill Dando? ODDBALL Barry George was in hiding last night after being cleared of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando. Published 2nd August 2008 Barry George The 48-year-old had spent eight years behind bars before being found not guilty at a retrial. The verdict means that, nine years after the Crimewatch presenter was shot dead on her doorstep, the police are no closer to finding her killer. And it left Jill’s friends and family demanding to know: “If George did not shoot her, who did?” Her agent Jon Roseman said: “Whoever did it – if it wasn’t Barry George – has got away with it.” The shock verdict left Jill’s former Crimewatch colleague Nick Ross, 60, almost speechless. He said: “There is nothing I can say.” George was smuggled out of the court and driven away to a secret address in a black cab after the verdict was delivered at the Old Bailey in central London. His sister Michelle Diskin, who had tirelessly protested his innocence, said outside the court: “We are really delighted to finally have justice.

“We have been fighting for many years. Now we need time to get back together as a family. We also hope the police will now look again into the murder of Jill Dando.” And his solicitor, Jeremy Moore, said: “This is not a time to celebrate. Barry George, an innocent man, has spent eight years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Those eight years could have been better served by the police in searching for the real killer.” He revealed that George’s first words on hearing the jury’s verdict were: “I can’t believe it.” Mr Moore added: “We are obviously delighted with the outcome today that we feel is the only sensible verdict that the jury could have made on the evidence before them.” Jill, 37, was shot dead on the doorstep of her home in Fulham, west London, on April 2 1999. George – an epileptic with an IQ of just 75 – was arrested a year after the murder and found guilty at his original trial in 2001. It can now be revealed that he has previous convictions for attempted rape, indecent assault and for impersonating a police officer by using a bogus warrant card.

George, who had been obsessed with Princess Diana, was also once arrested while trying to scale the walls at Kensington Palace, armed with a knife. But his past offences were never put before the jury, because they bore no relation to the shooting of Jill. Prosecutors based their original case on a tiny particle of dust found in the pocket of his overcoat, which they claimed matched firearms residue recovered from Jill’s hair. But at the retrial, the judge, Mr Justice Griffith Williams, ruled that evidence was inadmissible. He said the amount was so small, it could have been a result of armed police or criminal gunmen on the streets of London. Without it, there was no evidence which linked George directly to the murder. And before the retrial started, one senior detective privately admitted the residue evidence was crucial and “a wheel had come off” the case without it. It left detectives open to allegations that they were so desperate for a result in the case, they had simply rounded up “the local nutter” – as his own lawyer, William Clegg, described him. Mr Clegg also argued that George lacked the skills, motive and expertise to have committed such a “meticulously planned” and “thoroughly professional” crime.

The prosecution told the court George was a military-obsessed fantasist who had stalked other women near his Fulham home. But, after 13 hours of deliberation, the jury of eight men and four women unanimously found him not guilty. His psychologist Dr Susan Young, who had sat in the dock with him throughout the trial, said: “Mr George feels overwhelmed by the verdict as, throughout the trial, he did not dare get his hopes up. “He said to me continually in the dock that he believed he was going to be convicted. “His eyes filled with tears and he took a deep breath. He now has to come to terms with this and make important adjustments in his life.” Scotland Yard Commander Simon Foy, who heads the murder squad, said: “We are disappointed by the verdict, but especially disappointed for Jill’s family and friends. However, we respect the decision of the court. “The investigation was complex, thorough and professional, with more than 2,500 statements taken and 3,700 exhibits recovered. “We would like to thank the members of the public who came forward to give us information, in particular those that gave evidence in court.

“We will be reflecting on the verdict and considering how best to proceed.” However, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Hilary Bradfield said: “The CPS is disappointed with the acquittal of Barry George. But at no time during the long history of this case has the prosecution been criticised. “My sympathies go out to the family and friends of Miss Dando, for whom this verdict would not have brought the finality they were seeking.” Jill was one of the most popular figures on TV. Thousands of fans turned out to pay their respects at her funeral in her home town of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. She was killed just five months before she was due to marry gynaecologist Alan Farthing, 44. He would not comment on the verdict last night. Barry George: Man cleared of killing Jill Dando loses battle for a £500,000 payout after judges rule that another jury could have found him guilty | Daily Mail Online comments No compensation: Barry George was acquitted of murder The man sensationally acquitted of murdering Jill Dando yesterday lost his High Court bid for compensation – on the grounds that another jury could have found him guilty.

Two judges ruled Barry George, who spent eight years in jail before being cleared of the TV presenter’s killing at a retrial, was not eligible for up to £500,000 as a victim of a ‘miscarriage of justice’. Lawyers for the convicted sex offender claimed that the Justice Secretary had unfairly and unlawfully decided Mr George, 52, was ‘not innocent enough to be compensated’. But in ruling that Mr George had ‘failed the legal test’ for an award, Lord Justice Beatson and Mr Justice Irwin said the minister who had opposed his compensation bid was ‘entirely justified in the conclusion he reached’. They added: ‘There was indeed a case upon which a reasonable jury, properly directed, could have convicted the claimant of murder.’ Crimewatch presenter Miss Dando, 37, was shot outside her home in Fulham, south-west London in April 1999. The murder prompted an enormous inquiry by Scotland Yard and resulted in unemployed loner Mr George being convicted in July 2001. He was granted a retrial on appeal, and received a unanimous acquittal by a jury in August 2008.

Mr George then made a claim for compensation for lost earnings and wrongful imprisonment, but this was rejected in January 2010. He went to court again to seek a reconsideration of his case, which could have opened the way for him to claim as much as £500,000. His barrister, Ian Glen QC, insisted that the original decision to refuse compensation was ‘defective and contrary to natural justice’, arguing that for more than 30 years, those acquitted on retrials in similar circumstances had been compensated. Shot dead on her own doorstep: BBC presenter Jill Dando was 37 when she was murdered in London in 1999 Previously, compensation was only awarded for a miscarriage of justice if a claimant could effectively prove they were innocent. But a Supreme Court hearing in 2011 widened this to say a person is eligible for compensation if they can prove that no set of circumstances could possibly lead to their conviction by a jury. The judges ruled Mr George’s case did not pass this second test.

His solicitor, Nick Baird, said: ‘We are very disappointed with the judgment and shall be applying for permission to leapfrog the Court of Appeal to have the matter heard before the Supreme Court.’ Mr George’s action was one of five test cases to decide who is now entitled to payments in ‘miscarriage of justice’ cases. Decisions to refuse payouts in all five cases were defended by current Justice Secretary Chris Grayling in a three-day hearing last October. Only one claimant, Ian Lawless, who spent eight years in jail for murder before being freed by the Court of Appeal in 2009, was successful. The judges ruled the decision to refuse compensation was flawed and must be reconsidered. Mr George – who has a record for attempted rape and indecent assault – and the three other claimants failed in their challenges.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘We welcome the Court’s decision in these cases, in that it confirms that our decision not to grant compensation to the named individuals was correct.’ Residential street: Miss Dando was shot outside her house in Gowan Avenue in Fulham in April 1999 In 2010, the Mail revealed how former deputy headmaster Sion Jenkins had been refused compensation for the six years he spent in jail accused of murdering foster daughter Billie-Jo. He had sought up to £500,000 damages for the term he served before he was acquitted. But although Mr Jenkins said he fitted ‘all the criteria’ for a payout, the Ministry of Justice rejected his request after officials assessed the case. Rules stated that applicants for miscarriage of justice compensation had to show they were ‘clearly innocent’ to receive money.

Anorak | Jill Dando, Madeleine McCann, Barry George, Princess Diana And Tabloid Bingo Anorak | Jill Dando, Madeleine McCann, Barry George, Princess Diana And Tabloid Bingo Jill Dando, Madeleine McCann, Barry George, Princess Diana And Tabloid Bingo by Anorak | 2nd, August 2008 BARRY George, the oddball , has been cleared of murdering BBC presenter Jill Dando. The papers react: DAILY EXPRESS : “£1M PAYOUT FOR MAN CLEARED OF KILLING JILL DANDO” The 48-year-old convicted sex offender spent eight years behind bars and is likely to receive at least £500,000 compensation, plus a similar amount from a media bidding war for his story. BBC: It’s £250,000. DAILY MIRROR : Barry George in bid for £1million compensation after being cleared of Jill Dando’s murder The money’s better in the Mirror: George, 48, a loner with mental problems whose conviction for shooting dead Crimewatch presenter Jill was based on unreliable forensic evidence, was yesterday found not guilty after an Old Bailey retrial.

GLASGOW DAILY RECORD : “So Who Did Kill Jill?” This from the Mirror in Scotland: George could claim a maximum of £500,000 in compensation. Publicist Max Clifford believes that selling his story could make him a similar sum. So not £1million as the Mirror says? Never mind, George can make up the difference: Clifford said: “I would think it is worth at least £500,000 in terms of newspapers and television deals.” TONY PARSON : “INNOCENT.. SO WHO GOT AWAY WITH MURDER?” Just because someone is a weirdo, it doesn’t make them a murderer. And just because someone is a misfit, it doesn’t make them a killer. That’s what you think. But sometimes – as we saw in the case of Madeleine McCann [ Tabloid Bingo! ] – a case has such a sensationally high profile that the police are under enormous pressure to bring someone to justice. Even if – as with Barry George – it is flawed justice. Nobody has been charged in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann . If you want a victim look at Colin Stagg , the weirdo misfit.

Whatever you think about the man, and he is difficult to warm to, it remains true that he has suffered a terrible injustice. Hard to warm to a man we’ve never met, are never likely to meet, and who has had his name blackened as being a misfit, weirdo killer… THE SUN : “A fantasist who craved celebrity” Surely the paper means: An innocent man wrongly accused of a murder? FANTASIST George was a nobody — who dreamed of being a somebody. Now he’s a somebody He became obsessed with celebrity [see Sun’s Gordon Smart] and yearned to be a pop star, DJ or stuntman. But the only job he ever had was six months at 16 as a BBC messenger. After that he lived off incapacity benefit due to epilepsy… Sick man jailed for crime he did no commit, read all about it!” His retrial jury heard that a low IQ of 75 [ 76 in the Mail ] and bullying at school left George with a dysfunctional personality, including intense resentment for women who rejected him. Thicko who feels cheesed off when women turn him down jailed for crime he did not commit, read all about it!

His closest brush with the fame he craved came when he jumped four London buses on roller skates in 1985. On Oxford Streeet? Nutter! Beast George raped me on my doorstep A MUM told last night how Barry George raped her on her doorstep — and warned: “He’s still a massive danger to women.” Karen Gray, 46, dismissed claims that George is a “harmless eccentric” and urged women to be on their guard. She said: “I want people to know he’s always been a very dangerous man. He’s a maniac.” But he’s not a murderer. “He had gargantuan strength. I’m 5ft 8ins, well-built and fit, but I couldn’t fight him off. Then he let me go, said, ‘I’m sorry’ and ran off. Can you believe he apologised?” … When the case went to court, a plea-bargain deal saw George admit attempted rape in order to spare Karen the ordeal of giving evidence in the witness stand. Want to know what No. 2 in the list is? Get this: 2.

Raid on Di’s palace THE maniac donned a rubber SAS gas mask and armed himself with a dagger to break into the home of PRINCESS DIANA. She and Prince Charles were asleep at Kensington Palace when George — carrying a nylon rope — swooped. Cops, who had quizzed him the night before, arrested him before he got inside. He was freed — but a fingerprint check then nailed him for the rape. Dando. Diana . Make the link… Bingo! DAILY STAR : “SO…WHO DID KILL JILL DANDO?” ODDBALL Barry George was in hiding last night after being cleared of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando. Says Jill Dando’s agent Roseman: “Whoever did it – if it wasn’t Barry George – has got away with it.” The shock verdict left Jill’s former Crimewatch colleague Nick Ross, 60, almost speechless. He said: “There is nothing I can say.” DAILY MAIL (front page): “INNOCENT!” The women who kept faith: Victory for sister and psychologist who stood by George Innocent.

Throughout his legal ordeal, Barry George has been able to count on the constant support of two women – his sister Michelle Diskin and psychologist Dr Susan Young. Dr Young was also at George’s side during his ten-week first trial in 2001. She sat in the well of the court monitoring whether George suffered any ‘petit mal’ seizures – minor epileptic fits – which meant he could not follow the case. In George’s cell below Court Number One at the Old Bailey, Dr Young also conducted regular ‘relaxation exercises’. Her ‘specialist techniques’ are said to have helped the convicted sex offender stay relaxed, attentive and stress-free during the case. Mail readers have read of the blonde before : A blonde psychologist is being paid £500 a day to give Jill Dando’s killer head massages, it has emerged. The treatment, which is paid for by the tax payer, came to light as Barry George launched a fresh appeal against his conviction for murdering the glamourous TV presenter on her own doorstep. A blonde, eh? Like Princess Diana? Like Jill Dando. The plot thickens… THE INDEPENDENT : George not guilty: so who did kill Jill Dando? Yesterday the police said they will consider their next steps carefully.

Commander Simon Foy, the head of the Metropolitan Police’s homicide and serious crime command, said: “We are disappointed by today’s verdict but especially disappointed for Jill’s family and friends. However, we respect the decision of the court. The investigation into her murder was complex, thorough and professional, with more than 2,500 statements taken and 3,700 exhibits recovered. We would like to thank the members of public who came forward following the murder to give us information …in particular those that gave evidence in court.” He said the police “will be reflecting on today’s verdict and considering how best to proceed.” THE GUARDIAN : “A whispered thank-you and Barry George walks free” One man’s oddball, misfit weirod is another man’s: Eccentric cleared of Dando murder after spending eight years in prison THE INDEPENDENT : “Back to square one for police after their ‘soft target’ is freed” Soft target – broadsheet for oddball?

Jill Dando murder: I was stalking another woman at the time, says Barry George - Telegraph News Jill Dando murder: I was stalking another woman at the time, says Barry George Barry George has said he could not have killed Jill Dando because he was stalking another woman at the time of the shooting. Image 1 of 7 Barry George leaves the Old Bailey in London after he was cleared of murdering Jill Dando Photo: PA Barry George was found not guilty of murdering TV presenter Jill Dando Photo: PA Image 1 of 7 In a video-taped interview Barry Geroge told police he had never met Jill Dando Photo: PA Image 1 of 7 CCTV film showing Jill Dando shopping at a branch of the Dixons in Hammersmith.

Jill left the mall and headed toward her home where she was shot on her doorstep Photo: PA Image 1 of 7 Barry George's sister Michelle Diskin arrives at the High Court for her brother's appeal Photo: GETTY Image 1 of 7 Forensic police in Gowan Avenue, Fulham, south west London, where the body of BBC TV presenter Jill Dando was found outside her home Photo: PA Police and flowers at the spot where Jill Dando was murdered Photo: PHIL COBURN By Subhajit Banerjee and agencies 8:58AM BST 03 Aug 2008 An Old Bailey jury on Friday cleared the 48-year-old of murdering the TV presenter, eight years after he was jailed for the crime. Detectives investigating the killing became increasingly convinced Mr George was the gunman after they discovered he had followed numerous women and taken thousands of pictures of them. But in an interview, Mr George insisted that at the time Miss Dando was murdered, he was following another woman after leaving a disability centre in Fulham.

Miss Dando was shot dead on her doorstep in Fulham, west London, at around 11.30am on April 26 1999. Between 10.30am and 12.33pm on the day of the shooting, Mr George insisted, he was either at the centre or walking beside the woman. Related Articles So who did kill Jill Dando? 01 Aug 2008 "I walked with her for a bit and from her perspective, maybe it was unwanted attention. But she didn't make that clear," he said. "It didn't seem like she was telling me to go away. If she'd told me to leave I'd have done so straight away. "That was at 12.33pm. I know because just a minute before I'd made a call from my mobile to check how much credit I had left." During three weeks of surveillance before his arrest Mr George was seen to approach 38 women and try to make conversation with them.

He said of his history of stalking: "I know I have done wrong in the past and if I could go back in time and change that I would." Miss Dando, 37, was a BBC TV presenter at the height of her fame when she was shot in the head at her home in Gowan Avenue. Mr George's defence team argued in court that he lacked the capability to carry out the meticulously-planned execution-style killing. Scans of his brain showed "severely abnormal" results and some tests placed him in the lowest 1% of the population for his memory and planning abilities. He said he was bitter at the eight years he spent behind bars: "I've missed out on so much. I should have been getting on with my life. Who knows what I could have done and achieved?" In another interview Mr George said he realised his history of pestering women had fuelled police suspicion about him, and promised to change his behaviour. "I don't want to spend any more time in any of Her Majesty's holiday camps... I won't follow women anymore. I know it's wrong," he said. "I will be vigilant from now on. I am never going to give anyone the chance to send me away again.

I have changed." Nearly 10 years on, the killer of Miss Dando remains at large and the shooting could now be the subject of a cold case review. Police may re-examine the huge body of evidence amassed in the investigation into the Crimewatch presenter's murder. Detectives have more than 2,500 witness statements and 3,700 exhibits to trawl in the hope of finding a fresh clue that leads them to the true culprit. Mr George is now expected to seek compensation for the eight years he spent in prison, which experts believe could be at least £250,000. His barrister, William Clegg QC, said he thought the intense publicity the case attracted put pressure on the police to catch the perpetrator, and this distorted their approach to the case. "I think the lesson really is that in considering a case of this complexity, the police and those responsible for the prosecution, need to keep an open mind as far as possible as to who might be responsible (for the crime)," he said. "I think they did close their mind after the arrest of Barry George." The retrial heard that Mr George was known as the "local nutter" who was obsessed with the rock band Queen.

He called himself Barry Bulsara, after the real name of the band's lead singer Freddie Mercury. In 1983 he was arrested hiding in bushes outside Kensington Palace in an attempt to see Diana, Princess of Wales. But the prosecution lacked direct evidence of his involvement and no witnesses were able to identify him as the killer. Barry George in line for £500,000 compensation for his eight-year ordeal behind bars | Daily Mail Online Next Barry George in line for £500,000 compensation for his eight-year ordeal behind bars As 'misfit' Barry George left court a free man yesterday it emerged that he could be in line for massive compensation payout for the eight years he spent behind bars. The 48-year-old endured two trials and two appeals in the battle to prove his innocence. Now it is down to the Government to put a price on those lost years. Legal experts and the Home Office have confirmed that George could expect around £500,000 --although there is currently no limit on the amount that can be claimed.

Publicist Max Clifford has also predicted that George, who has been described a loner and the 'local nutter', could earn another £500,000 as the media clamour to secure his exclusive story. 'Overwhelmed': Barry George leaves court a free man after being cleared of the murder of Jill Dando George's solicitor Jeremy Moore said he would almost certainly be seeking to claim compensation for his client. He said outside court: 'That is something we will be looking at and I would be surprised if he doesn't claim compensation for the eight years he spent in jail. Barry George has spent eight years in custody for a crime he did not commit.' It is now down to George's legal team to submit an application to the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service, run by the Royal Courts of Justice Citizen Advice Bureau. The final decision on whether George is eligible for a payout would be down to Justice Minister Jack Straw. The amount would be decided by an independent assessor, currently Lord Brennan QC. Nine years after the shooting of the TV presenter on her own doorstep, and seven years after George was convicted of the crime, an Old Bailey jury took less than two days to acquit him.

Miss Dando's family now have to face the grim probability that her murder will never be solved. George's family said he was relieved at finally being free after spending eight years behind bars As he left court, George was accompanied by glamorous blonde psychologist Susan George, who has been constantly at his side throughout the retrial. But as he celebrated his acquittal - and the prospect of £500,000 in compensation for the time he spent behind bars - the question remained: Who <cite>did kill Jill Dando? The 37-year-old Crimewatch presenter was shot in the head on April 26, 1999 as she arrived at her home in Fulham, West London. In the year before George was arrested many theories emerged. Was the killing done by a vengeful underworld Mr Big, jailed after one of her Crimewatch programmes? Golden girl: Jill Dando presenting the BBC's Holiday programme Was she killed by a Serbian hitman on the orders of a warlord because she had recently made an appeal for Kosovan refugees? Or was it a jealous ex-lover? All were dismissed by police, who decided George was the main suspect after his name cropped up several times.

At the first trial in 2001, the case against George - who lived 500 yards from Miss Dando's home in Gowan Avenue - was regarded by some as 'thin'. Yet the jury voted 10-1 that George was guilty of murder. Barry George's police photo A year after he was jailed, the Appeal Court comprehensively dismissed his appeal. In a 58-page ruling, judges said the trial had been fair and there remained a compelling case against George. But doubts about his guilt continued, and his sister Michelle Diskin mounted a campaign for justice. Last November three other Appeal Court judges questioned the value of the forensic evidence which helped convict him. The judges, led by Lord Phillips, said the jury might have reached a different verdict had they known of doubts about crucial gunshot evidence. In 2001, the Old Bailey had been told that a microscopic speck of firearms discharge residue, found in a pocket of George's coat, was linked to particles found in Miss Dando's hair and clothes. But scientists said the particle was worthless as evidence.

It was just as likely that it came from innocent contamination in a police lab or from the general 'environment' as from the murder weapon, and a new trial was ordered. Before the second prosecution, George's legal team - led by William Clegg QC - successfully argued that the firearms evidence should not be heard by the jury. RELATED ARTICLES Share The Daily Mail can reveal that the CPS seriously considered dropping the case against George. Fierce debate took place behind the scenes before lawyers agreed that a second trial should go ahead. Detectives carried out a full forensic review of the evidence using scientific methods not available for the first trial. They uncovered suspicious blood spots on his clothes but hopes of a direct forensic links between George and Miss Dando were dashed when they turned out to be from George himself. The prosecution then faced an uphill battle. No weapon has ever been found, there were no witnesses to the killing, and no obvious compelling motive.

Enlarge Michelle Diskin, Barry George's sister (centre in pink jacket), today said her family was relieved that he was finally free But because of a change in the law, they were able to use so-called 'bad character' evidence and a series of women gave evidence about how George 'terrified' and 'intimidated' them in the street during the 1990s. George was portrayed as a celebrity-obsessed stalker who secretly took thousands of photographs of women and had a fascination with female TV presenters. Police found 2,248 photographs of women in his home, as well as a gun holster, a list of guns and military magazines. There was also a picture of George wearing a gas mask and holding a starting pistol - the sort of weapon, said the prosecution, that if converted could have fired the fatal shot. Enlarge However, the jury of eight women and four men were not told that George had been convicted of attempted rape. Nor that he was arrested by police in 1983 - dressed in combat gear, carrying a length of rope and a knife - hiding in bushes outside Kensington Palace in an attempt to see Diana, Princess of Wales. George did not give evidence during the trial.

His barrister argued that he did not have the motive or the expertise to do what many people may think was 'the perfect crime'. William Clegg described his client's intellect as being comparable to a '40-watt bulb'. 'It is perfectly true he follows women every day, hundreds and hundreds in a year, but he has not shot them dead,' he added. Last moments: CCTV showing Jill Dando at a branch of the Dixons chain in the Kings Mall shopping centre in Hammersmith, London, shortly before her death George was at a secret location last night as it emerged that he was offering his story around Fleet Street for a six-figure sum. Together with the £500,000 he is expected to receive in compensation, he might eventually become a millionaire. He rejected an offer of security from the police and emergency housing from a local authority, insisting he wanted to leave the Old Bailey in a taxi. One court source said: 'There are genuine fears about what will happen to him once things settle down in a few weeks.' George's first words on being cleared were: 'I can't believe it.' His sister punched the air and cried 'Yes' when the not guilty verdict was announced.

Mrs Diskin said: 'We are really delighted to finally have justice. 'We have been fighting for many years. Now we need time to get back together as a family. We also hope the police will now look again into the murder of Jill Dando.' Commander Simon Foy, head of Scotland Yard's homicide and serious crime command, said: 'We are disappointed by today's verdict but especially disappointed for Jill's family and friends. 'However, we respect the decision of the court.' Miss Dando's family stayed silent last night, declining to comment on the retrial. Her former fiancé, hospital consultant Alan Farthing, also did not comment. Suspect: Police recovered this picture of Barry George wearing a gas mask and holding a firearm Senior officers say that unless there is 'compelling new evidence' to kick start a new police inquiry, the Dando family will never get justice. A top Crown Prosecution Service source said: 'As we stand, there are no new leads. The prospects of this case being solved are extremely slim.' As George took his first steps to freedom last night, Scotland Yard chiefs ordered a review of the evidence which led to him facing two trials.

Barry George - ITV News Barry George Barry George, the man who was wrongly jailed and served eight years for Jill Dando's murder. Credit: PA Wire Barry George, the man who was wrongly jailed and served eight years for Jill Dando's murder, has spoken of his hope to see her killer face justice. He told ITV's Daybreak: "First, as strange as it might seem, for her family because obviously they have been wronged and they've not been, I believe although I can't be positive, that they've not been told all the truth of the matter of what's happened. They've probably been deceived a little." Miss Dando was shot dead outside her home in Fulham, west London, in April 1999. After his conviction in July 2001, Mr George, of Fulham, was acquitted of killing the 37-year-old BBC presenter at a retrial in August 2008. Barry George's sister Michelle Diskin has described the High Court's decision to halt her brother's compensation bid was a "travesty of justice". There never was any viable evidence against Barry.

This whole case from April 2000 until today has been a smoke and mirrors exercise designed to placate a worried public, and give the impression that justice had been done. Well neither the Dando family, nor our family, has seen any justice in the past 13 years. – Barry George's sister Michelle Diskin Barry George loses bid to claim up to £500,000 Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, has lost his legal battle for compensation as a victim of a "'miscarriage of justice". The latest legal move at the Court of Appeal followed the dismissal of his claim by two High Court judges in January. TV presenter Jill Dando was killed in 1999. Credit: BBC/PA Archive/Press Association Images Lord Justice Beatson and Mr Justice Irwin had rejected his claim that the Justice Secretary unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated". They ruled that the Secretary of State was "entirely justified in the conclusion he reached". Lord Justice Richards, sitting at the Court of Appeal in London, today rejected an application by Mr George for permission to challenge the January decision.

He announced that the 53-year-old - who was present in court for the ruling - had "no realistic prospects" of success on appeal. Mr George went to the High Court seeking a reconsideration of his case which could have opened the way for him to claim an award of up to £500,000 for lost earnings and wrongful imprisonment. Jill Dando was shot dead outside her home in Fulham in April 1999. Credit: BBC/PA Archive/Press Association Images The decision to refuse compensation was "defective and contrary to natural justice", according to Ian Glen QC, who was representing Barry George. Despite Mr George's unanimous acquittal by a jury at his retrial, a Ministry of Justice "functionary" had unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated". Mr Glen said that for more than 30 years those acquitted on retrials in similar circumstances had been compensated. He said: "We are not sure when the policy was changed or whether it was affected by the Barry George case." The position seemed to have changed in 2008, the year Mr George was acquitted, Mr Glen added.

Barry George's solicitor, Nick Baird, said: "We are very disappointed with the judgement and we shall be applying for permission to leapfrog the Court of Appeal to have the matter heard before the Supreme Court." Barry George was cleared of murdering TV presenter Jill Dando. Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Archive/Press Association Images Mr George, 52, came to court to seek a reconsideration of his case which could have opened the way for him to claim an award of up to £500,000 for lost earnings and wrongful imprisonment. But the judges ruled that he had "failed the legal test" to receive an award.

Barry George loses compensation bid over Jill Dando conviction Judges rule that man wrongly convicted of BBC presenter's murder is not entitled to miscarriage of justice payout<p>Barry George, the man wrongly convicted of murdering TV presenter Jill Dando, is not entitled to compensation, the high court has ruled in a judgment that may affect scores of miscarriage of justice cases.</p><p>Lord Justice Beatson and Mr Justice Irwin, upheld decisions by ministers to stop George – and three other men who were freed from prison – getting payment for their time in jail.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Barry George loses compensation bid over Jill Dando conviction Judges rule that man wrongly convicted of BBC presenter's murder failed legal test to receive payout as victim of a miscarriage of justice<p>Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, has lost his high court bid for compensation as a victim of a miscarriage of justice.</p><p>Two judges rejected his claim that the justice secretary unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated".</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder What happens when successful

 TV shows outlive their creators and stars?

As 56 Up director Michael Apted prepares to hand over the baton, which shows have outshone their original formats<p>There's a tradition in sport known as "retiring the shirt", in which the squad number worn by a particularly influential player is taken out of circulation: in American basketball, the vest in question will sometimes be symbolically raised into the rafters above the court. A similar issue arises in TV when a format becomes connected with particular personnel and the dilemma is represented twice in next week's schedules.</p><p>While promoting <a href="" title="">the return of 56 Up</a> (Monday, 9pm, ITV1), director Michael Apted showed commendable lack of ego and squeamishness, in addressing a sensitive technical question.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Television Miscarriage of justice: supreme court to rule on its true meaning Millions of pounds in compensation for people wrongfully convicted hinges on decision by nine judges<p>Britain's most senior judges will decide this week whether hundreds of people whose wrongful convictions have been quashed by the court of appeal are truly innocent.

In a landmark ruling, the supreme court will define the meaning of a miscarriage of justice and decide when individuals are entitled to official compensation.</p><p>Millions of pounds in compensation are at stake in a case triggered by government refusal over the last five years to pay financial redress to victims of miscarriages of justice, many of whom have spent years in prison for crimes they did not commit.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> UK supreme court Criminal cases review commission: the last bastion of hope Inside the independent body set up to investigate miscarriages of justice after the court of appeal has thrown them out<p>The view from Alpha Tower, the looming skyscraper that is home to the criminal cases review commission, stretches from the knotted mess of Spaghetti Junction to the open wilds of the Malvern Hills.</p><p>But behind the closed doors of the CCRC's glass-walled office, where the case of a young man who claims he was wrongly convicted of raping his sister is being considered, all eyes are focused on a single sheet of paper.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> UK criminal justice Jill Dando murder: Barry George wins boost in compensation fight Man who spent eight years behind bars but was then

 acquitted of Jill Dando's murder wins favourable decision in the high court<p>Barry George, who was acquitted of <a href="" title="">the murder of the television presenter Jill Dando</a> after spending eight years in prison, won the first round of a legal battle today to win compensation.</p><p>A high court judge in London gave George, 50, the go-ahead to challenge a prior decision that he is not entitled to compensation.

But he may have to wait until next year for further developments.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Barry George wins libel damages from News of the World and the Sun Barry George, acquitted of killing Jill Dando, receives apology from News Group Newspapers over series of stories<p>Barry George, <a href="" title="the man acquitted at a retrial of killing Jill Dando">the man acquitted at a retrial of killing Jill Dando</a>, has won substantial damages and an apology from the publisher of the Sun and News of the World over a series of articles suggesting that he was responsible for the killing and was a stalker.</p><p>George was in the high court today to hear his barrister read a statement outlining how the News of the World had made up a quote from him in which he suggested he could not have killed Dando because he was stalking another woman at the time.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> News UK Cleared Dando suspect Barry George challenges surveillance order • He wants court to free him from monitoring <br />• Risk remains, say police, despite 2008 acquittal<p>Barry George, the man acquitted at a retr

ial of killing the BBC television presenter Jill Dando, is making an unprecedented legal challenge to stop the authorities keeping a watch on his movements.</p><p>George, 48, begins a legal case in the high court against the Metropolitan police, claiming his human rights are being breached because he is the subject of a multi-agency public protection arrangement (Mappa).

The arrangements, which involve the police, probation service, prison service and local authorities, are designed to protect the public from sexual and violent offenders who are considered to still pose a risk after serving their sentences.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Long-standing UK miscarriages of justice High-profile judicial mistakes, from Barry George's conviction for the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando to the jailing of Judith Ward for the 1973 IRA coach bombing<br /><br />• <a href="" title="One of UK's longest-serving prisoners to be freed">One of UK's longest-serving prisoners to be freed</a><p>• Stefan Kiszko served 16 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the 1975 murder of the schoolgirl Lesley Molseed in West Yorkshire. He was freed on appeal in 1992. Later, Ronald Castree's DNA was found to match samples taken from semen on the 11-year-old's clothes. He was jailed for life for the murder in 2007.</p><p>• Stephen Downing was jailed for 27 years for beating to death the typist Wendy Sewell in Bakewell.

His conviction was quashed in 2002 after a campaign by the then editor of the Matlock Mercury, Don Hale, who said Downing had been interviewed without legal representation and his signed confession had been written by a police officer.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Crime Jill Dando murder: Police investigate Serbian hitman theory TV presenter may have been killed in revenge for Nato air strike on Belgrade<p>Police investigating the murder of Jill Dando, the BBC television presenter, are said to be examining new evidence that she may have been killed by a Serbian hitman in revenge for a Nato air strike on Belgrade in 1999.</p><p>The Sunday Times <a href="" title="">reported yesterday</a> that several witnesses saw a man claim in a Belgrade bar in 2001 that the 1999 killing was a revenge attack before he took a bow and applause for the killing.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Crime Frank Fisher: When a conspiracy is the simple solution Lone assassin explanations are seen as the rational alternative to conspiracies.

But in the case of Jill Dando, the normal pattern is turned upside down<p>Barry George is a weirdo – that's okay, I can say it, as it formed a key part of the successful defence in his retrial for the murder of Jill Dando. Unintelligent, a fantasist, a braggart, something of a sex pest too and not subtle about it – no one seems to have ever denied this. Yet apparently, for eight years, the Metropolitan Police also believed he was something of a criminal mastermind. <br> <br><a href="">Charlie Brooker</a> gleefully and confidently assaults 9/11 "troofers" in his record-breaking Cif thread, but the core arguments against conspiracies in most high-profile cases – 9/11, JFK, Oklahoma City - work against a lone nut theory in the Jill Dando killing, and always did.

<br> <br>The police are playing their usual game right now – hinting they're not considering any other suspects, revealing convictions and suspicions that were not put in front of the jury – suggesting with nods and winks that, regardless of the verdict, they know who did the deed.<br> <br>Their misplaced confidence was absurd from day one. There is not one chance in a billion that Barry George killed Jill Dando, and the Met must always have known this. I'll focus on just one aspect of the crime, but it's enough to prove the fragility of the overall police case.<br> <br>From the moment a brass cartridge case that once held the bullet that killed Dando was found, it was certain that whoever killed her was either a gunsmith himself, or had access to specialist weapons-making facilities – and it was a strong possibility that the killer hailed from Eastern Europe. The cartridge, a Remmington .380 casing, had been opened, and propellant removed to reduce the crack of a gunshot – then crimped back onto the slug, a 9mm round, creating a custom-built, low-powered, composite round.

An old <a href="">NKVD</a> trick apparently, dating from Stalin's days. This simple fact instantly ruled out someone like George acting alone. He could not have prepared the ammunition himself, at no stage were the police able to link him to any facilities where he may have been able to do it, they were never able to connect him to a illegal firearms trader and were unable to turn up the weapon – or even suggest what kind of weapon it was, with any plausibility.<br> <br>Based purely on the ammunition, and the fact that the bullet bore no rifling marks, the police announced that a modified automatic, or reactivated inert automatic, drilled through, must have fired the round. Yet the case carried no extractor marks – the indentations, fairly distinctive for each type of gun, left on the case by the ejector mechanism of an automatic pistol or rifle. That means that it hadn't been ejected, which means it was not fired from an automatic pistol, which means the weapon used cannot have been of the type claimed by police. Rather, this was a custom device, possibly handmade.

And this weapon, the police theory had it, would have been built by a man with no access to the necessary machinery, no history of engineering at all, who couldn't even drive and apparently has trouble doing up his buttons.<br> <br>There are two kinds of weapon that could have fired the shot that killed Jill Dando – both specialist devices, neither of them ever mentioned by the police. The first, a zip gun, is the most basic firearm in current use. A street gang or prison weapon, it's essentially two tubes sliding over each other, with a nail or steel rod welded to the base of one, to strike a cartridge held in place at the bottom of the other. Sometimes spring-loaded and sometimes purely manual, it's a clumsy and awkward weapon, and most street-built examples can only be operated with two hands.<br> <br>Witnesses described a tall man dressed in dark clothing, perhaps a black suit, carrying a large mobile phone.

He, or someone very like him, was placed outside Dando's home, in her street, walking away from her garden immediately after the shooting, along with several other men and the famous blue Range Rover that was once a key target for the police investigation, and was then rapidly forgotten when it didn't fit their theory.<br> <br>He was carrying a large mobile phone. A gun, the police said – the witnesses must have been mistaken. But what if the witnesses weren't half-blind simpletons the police suggest? What if they saw exactly what they said they saw? What if they saw a man holding <a href="">this</a>?<br> <br>Covert handguns disguised as mobile phones, generally firing a .22 or 9mm round, have been found all over Europe – but they all appear to be manufactured in the same place, the former Yugoslavia. You can tell where I'm going with this can't you?<br> <br>The police theory – the "rational" theory – suggests a man with an IQ of 75 carried out such a killing, alone, and perfectly. It simply isn't credible, and it never was.

The only credible theory is a that of a professional assassination, carried out on behalf of either a criminal organisation, angered by Dando's work on Crimewatch, or perhaps on behalf of someone else.</p><p>This is the conspiracy theory – and yet it is the simplest option. The only question is who ordered the hit? People point to Crimewatch, but like the rest of the British media, they don't really "do" organised crime. Did Crimewach ever take down a gangland boss? And is it credible to suggest some poor bugger swindling widows out of their savings took revenge from his prison cell? I don't think so. So we turn to the other option.<br> <br>Chances are every state has people to deal with individuals they want removed. We don't know if our own country does, but with some nations, we know they have assassinated people in the recent past.

Countries like, well, Serbia for instance.<br> <br>Add the fact that callers to the BBC after the killing claimed it on behalf of Serbia, that presenters such as John Humphrys were also threatened because of their perceived support for the Kosovan cause, and the Serbian connection must look credible.<br> <br>So why did the police focus on Barry George? <br> <br>Who knows. But I can guess. The Serbian theory posits revenge as the motive. Revenge for Clinton and Blair's illegal Kosovo war, but specifically for the war crime <a href="">perpetrated</a> by British and US forces in the early hours of April 23 1999, when Nato missiles smashed into the headquarters of Radio and Television Serbia <a href=" ">killing</a> 16 broadcasting staff.<br> <br>We bombed their state broadcaster – claiming it was a legitimate target as it propagandised for their side – and they struck back, so the theory goes. The BBC had presented hours of footage backing wholeheartedly the Nato line that Milosevic was a new Hitler, that "humanitarian intervention" was essential.

Dando, no doubt in good faith, broadcast an appeal on behalf of the Kosovan refugees. That's more than enough motive.<br> <br>More of a motive than police ever suggested for Barry George. But not really a motive anyone in the UK establishment would want to talk up.<br> <br>Perhaps I'm being cynical – maybe the original police investigation really did think that the Serb theory, even though it fitted the facts, was not credible. But why might that be? Because it was a conspiracy theory?

When even positing a conspiracy is enough to bring ridicule, might they actually have jettisoned the idea because of embarrassment?<br> <br>While it makes sense, as Charlie Brooker suggests, to try to remain close to planet Earth at all times, and not to drift too wildly on the seas of invention, it also makes sense to evaluate fairly all possibilities, especially those that fit the known facts, regardless of how fantastic those possibilities then become.</p><p>When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains – however improbable – must be the truth.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Duncan Campbell: The days of miscarriages of justice are far from over Barry George's acquittal reminds us that the days of miscarriages of justice are far from over<p>Never assume. Those should be the two words tattooed on the forearms of all journalists and police officers when they join their chosen professions. How tempting it is, when all the evidence seems to point in a particular direction, to assume.

Now, with the case of Barry George, freed after spending eight years in prison for the killing of BBC presenter Jill Dando, we are reminded once more of the dangers of assuming.</p><p>On the face of it, George fitted all our preconceptions of the sort of person who could have killed Dando. He had a history of stalking women in the neighbourhood; he was obsessed with celebrity, fantasising relationships for himself with famous people; he had previous convictions for attempted rape and indecent assault; he had a fascination with guns; he boasted of being in the SAS; he had apparently tried to construct an alibi for himself for the day of the murder; people had apparently seen someone matching his description close to the murder scene; his interview with the police was rambling and incoherent.

When forensic scientists found a speck of what seemed to be firearms residue in his pocket, it appeared to the police that this was the final piece of the jigsaw.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Barry George sells his story to a newspaper for five-figure sum <strong>&#183;</strong> Barry George sells story to paper for five-figure sum<br /><strong>&#183;</strong> Free man apologises to women for past behaviour<p>Barry George said yesterday that he could not have killed Jill Dando because he was stalking another woman at the time. </p><p>George, who was acquitted of the murder of the BBC television presenter, also claimed that the photo of a man in a mask and brandishing a gun found at his flat and widely published was not him.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder How Susan Young stood by Barry George and helped him survive The man acquitted on Friday of killing Jill Dando has complex mental health difficulties which would have made a fair trial almost impossible.

Jamie Doward speaks to pioneering psychologist Susan Young about her role throughout his eight-year legal battle<p>In his first precious moments of freedom, on a day he believed would never come, Barry George was terrified. Bundled into a taxi outside the Old Bailey within minutes of Friday's unanimous acquittal verdict, George was incapable of speech. </p><p>Wide-eyed and sallow-faced, he struggled to take in the fact that after eight years he was a free man. And not just free, but cleared of one of the most notorious murders in recent history.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Barry George's sister, Michelle Diskin, has played an important part in clearing his name <p>Barry George's sister, Michelle Diskin, has played perhaps the most important part in the effort to clear his name. Without her persistence in seeking the best legal advice and without her support during his seven years in prison, it is unlikely that George would be celebrating his freedom.</p><p>As the jury foreman returned a not guilty verdict yesterday afternoon, she mouthed a "thank you" at them.

She was almost speechless as she took in the news but was able to say she was "thrilled" by the verdict.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Jill Dando murder Jill Dando - ITV News Jill Dando Barry George, the man who was wrongly jailed and served eight years for Jill Dando's murder. Credit: PA Wire Barry George, the man who was wrongly jailed and served eight years for Jill Dando's murder, has spoken of his hope to see her killer face justice. He told ITV's Daybreak: "First, as strange as it might seem, for her family because obviously they have been wronged and they've not been, I believe although I can't be positive, that they've not been told all the truth of the matter of what's happened. They've probably been deceived a little." Miss Dando was shot dead outside her home in Fulham, west London, in April 1999. After his conviction in July 2001, Mr George, of Fulham, was acquitted of killing the 37-year-old BBC presenter at a retrial in August 2008.

Barry George's sister Michelle Diskin has described the High Court's decision to halt her brother's compensation bid was a "travesty of justice". There never was any viable evidence against Barry. This whole case from April 2000 until today has been a smoke and mirrors exercise designed to placate a worried public, and give the impression that justice had been done. Well neither the Dando family, nor our family, has seen any justice in the past 13 years. – Barry George's sister Michelle Diskin Barry George loses bid to claim up to £500,000 Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, has lost his legal battle for compensation as a victim of a "'miscarriage of justice". The latest legal move at the Court of Appeal followed the dismissal of his claim by two High Court judges in January. TV presenter Jill Dando was killed in 1999. Credit: BBC/PA Archive/Press Association Images Lord Justice Beatson and Mr Justice Irwin had rejected his claim that the Justice Secretary unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated".

They ruled that the Secretary of State was "entirely justified in the conclusion he reached". Lord Justice Richards, sitting at the Court of Appeal in London, today rejected an application by Mr George for permission to challenge the January decision. He announced that the 53-year-old - who was present in court for the ruling - had "no realistic prospects" of success on appeal. Mr George went to the High Court seeking a reconsideration of his case which could have opened the way for him to claim an award of up to £500,000 for lost earnings and wrongful imprisonment. Jill Dando was shot dead outside her home in Fulham in April 1999. Credit: BBC/PA Archive/Press Association Images The decision to refuse compensation was "defective and contrary to natural justice", according to Ian Glen QC, who was representing Barry George. Despite Mr George's unanimous acquittal by a jury at his retrial, a Ministry of Justice "functionary" had unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated". Mr Glen said that for more than 30 years those acquitted on retrials in similar circumstances had been compensated.

He said: "We are not sure when the policy was changed or whether it was affected by the Barry George case." The position seemed to have changed in 2008, the year Mr George was acquitted, Mr Glen added. Barry George's solicitor, Nick Baird, said: "We are very disappointed with the judgement and we shall be applying for permission to leapfrog the Court of Appeal to have the matter heard before the Supreme Court." Barry George was cleared of murdering TV presenter Jill Dando. Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Archive/Press Association Images Mr George, 52, came to court to seek a reconsideration of his case which could have opened the way for him to claim an award of up to £500,000 for lost earnings and wrongful imprisonment. But the judges ruled that he had "failed the legal test" to receive an award.

Question: Barry George spent 8 years behind bars before being cleared in a retrial of the murder of whom?
Answer: Jill Dando