DANDO: MISTAKEN IDENTITY
An article was printed in Western Daily Press newspaper on Friday 13 May, 2005, based loosely on information provided by myself. The article is reproduced here, after which there are a number of comments by myself to highlight the numerous factual errors, a couple of which are major factual errors, in the short article.
DANDO: MISTAKEN IDENTITY
West Tv star Jill Dando was the victim of mistaken identity when she was gunned down outside her home, it was claimed yesterday. The claim was made by a London-based freelance journalist who has investigated the case for more than two years and who says new evidence could prove Barry George is innocent.
The Weston-super-Mare journalist was murdered six years ago and loner Barry George was convicted of the killing four years later.
Journalist Scott Lomax said: "On the morning Jill was shot, there were plans for a relative to pay a visit. Jill Dando had not planned to go to the scene of the crime until two days before her death, with no one being able to predict her presence."
FACTUAL ERRORS
1) I never have, and almost certainly never will, say Jill Dando was the victim of mistaken identity. I have only ever said it is a possibility, worthy of consideration, based on the facts.
2) Jill Dando was not shot outside her home. She was killed outside her former home. Although she still owned 29 Gowan Avenue she did not live at that address and rarely visited. The fact Jill rarely visited the house is of immense importance because it means few could have known she would be there that day. In my opinion it shows that Jill herself, if Jill was the intended victim, told her killer she would be there.
3) Although it is true to say I have studied the case for more than two years it would be more accurate to say I have studied the case for nearly four years.
4) The new evidence we have cannot prove Barry George's innocence. It can only undermine the prosecution's argument at trial and suggest he could be innocent and therefore should not remain in prison. Short of evidence proving his alibi (the defence put forward a good alibi at trial but clearly the jury did not believe it) or finding the identity of the real culprit, Barry's innocence cannot be proven. It is incredibly difficult to prove someone's innocence.
5) Jill Dando was killed six years ago, on 26 April 1999, but Barry George was not convicted four years later. he was only jailed for life in 2001, two years after the murder but four years ago.
6) Barry George is not a loner. He is the exact opposite of a loner. The overwhelming majority of people in this country do not actually know what the word 'loner' means. It means someone who prefers not to associate themselves with others, Barry George was often on the streets, approaching people in order to make friends and relationships. He would go into shops and businesses to talk to staff. He would always be looking for people to talk to. Therefore he was certainly not a loner.
7) The quote from me is wrong. What I actually said was: "It has emerged that on the morning of 26 April 1999, when Jill was shot outside her unlived in Fulham house, following a shopping trip, there were plans for a relative to pay a visit. Whilst Jill Dando had not planned to go to the scene of the crime until two days before her death, with no one outside her close circle of friends being able to predict her presence, Jill had suggested her [I did name the relative but will retain the name for now until it is published in a newspaper] should stay at 29 Gowan Avenue that day."
I have written an article about this story and submitted it to this newspaper but clearly they just wished to write the story themselves, getting the facts completely wrong even when they could see what i had written. The above article misses the key points completely and so if anyone would like to print my article, with my by-line S. C. Lomax, not Scott Lomax, please get in touch.
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