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A Rebuttal Of The Alleged Barry George Confession (9 December 2004)

You might have recently seen that a national paper has claimed Barry George has confessed to the murder of Jill Dando. This page contains a point-by-point rebuttal of the claims. I will then discuss general points to demonstrate that this confession is not true.

What was the nature of the confession?
Whilst in prison, despite maintaining his innocence to all other prisoners, Barry allegedly confided in one person that he had shot Jill and was planning to mastermind the murder of Nick Ross. Regarding the alleged confession to the murder Barry is reported to have said: “I sent her flowers and got hold of her phone number and I was stalking her. I saw her on TV a couple of days before her death and something in my head told me that I wasn’t going to get the chance to take her out on a date. So I thought if I can’t have her no one else can. I went looking for her in the area and waited for her to come home.” In my mind these words completely show Barry could not have made this confession and he could not have killed Jill Dando as I will soon show.


Who reported the confession, how was it made and why?
The person who claims Barry confessed to the murder has no evidence at all to prove his allegation. It was simply one of these instances whereby a former inmate approached the press to sell a story. Yes, the man who claimed Barry confessed had just been released from Whitemoor Prison where he had spent ten months serving a twelve year sentence for sex crimes. Instead of approaching the police, as anyone who wanted justice would do, this man contacted journalists. Why did he do this? Perhaps I am being cynical but a man who has just been released from prison does not have a lot of money and is unlikely to find good employment. Most people know that newspapers pay tens of thousands of pounds for juicy stories about notorious convicts and this man was lucky enough to know such a convict. Hey he wouldn’t have to even look for a job if the papers paid him enough. At the end of the day the only evidence to suggest this confession ever took place is the word of an ex convict who has reason to lie and cared more about getting money from the papers than about telling the police what allegedly happened. Bear this in mind when reading all that follows.


The issue of sending flowers and stalking
Firstly I’d like to address the issue that Barry allegedly sent flowers to Jill, obtained her phone number and stalked her. During their exhaustive investigation the police never found any evidence to suggest Jill was stalked and they did not believe a stalker was responsible for this crime. They simply thought that an obsessed fan committed the crime. There was absolutely no evidence at all that Jill was being stalked – on the day of her murder CCTV footage shows no one was following her and it would be difficult to stalk this woman because her movements meant that she travelled all over the country and indeed all over the world on a regular basis. Barry did not drive and did not know where she lived (I will come to this soon but even if this confession was true he clearly does not know where she lives because where she was shot was where she used to live long before her death and if Barry stalked Jill he would know Jill did not live there). There were between forty and fifty men who had tried to contact her and around one hundred who had a highly disturbing interest in her. These were people who sent her flowers on a regular basis, sent fan mail of a sick nature, made telephone calls to her or attempted to gain details from her, visited her home or the BBC studios in the hope of seeing her etc. All were traced and none of these was Barry George. Extensive research was undertaken to try and find others who had a similar interest but none were found.

There was no evidence Barry had sent flowers and how could he have got Jill’s phone number? She was ex directory and even if he did get the number he cannot have phoned the number because, had he done so, the police would have traced the number. All of Barry’s phone records were checked. His flat was full of papers that he never threw away and no note with Jill’s name, address or any information about her was found. Barry did indeed stalk some women in the early 1990s, taking photographs which were never developed of people he saw in the streets. This is a wicked thing to do but none of the women he took photographs of were Jill Dando. He did take photographs from his television of news presenters but none were of Jill Dando. Strangely the police came across one man who had taken photographs of Jill from his television screen but they never even bothered questioning him as they did not think it was worthwhile to do so as the photographs had only been taken from the television and yet the media is making such a fuss over Barry having taken photographs of women from the TV who were not even Jill Dando.

If Barry stalked Jill Dando then he would have known she very rarely went to the scene of the crime as she had began living somewhere else. Her visits to Gowan Avenue were becoming increasingly rare. Therefore why would he have waited around an area he knew Jill rarely visited when, if he stalked her, he would have known where she lived and worked? It seems rather stupid does it not?


Planning the murder in only two days
Now I’d like to address the issue that Barry saw Jill on TV just two days before her death and decided that he should kill her at that point because he had at that moment realised that he could not take Jill out on a date.

Firstly, Jill was not on TV two days before her murder. She was on TV around a week before and the night before (around fourteen hours before her death) but not two days before.

Even if she was on TV two days before her death and at this moment in time he decided to shoot her it does not leave very much time to plan a brutal murder that would be described in court as “near perfect” does it? There is strong evidence to suggest the murder weapon and ammunition used were adapted specifically to enable the gunman to fire only one shot to kill the victim. This would be to minimise the amount of time that the gunman was exposed to the possibility a member of the public could walk past and see what was happening. It was a specialist piece of equipment designed to perform the task and not the sort of gun you can buy in only forty eight hours. Even if Barry had bought the gun earlier, which seems unlikely seeing as though he had no reason to buy the gun earlier if he did not decide to kill Jill until two days before her death, there are other issues to consider.

Jill was murdered in broad daylight in a military style act of execution with military precision. Barry is alleged to have said he was just walking around waiting for Jill to return but there must have been more to it than that. Jill got out of her car and within thirty seconds she had been shot. The killer arrived at the scene as Jill did and left within forty seconds of arriving. That is not a simple case of walking around, waiting. This murder was planned with exceptional detail. The killer escaped without causing any suspicion even though the next door neighbour heard Jill scream. He left no evidence that could be used to identify him and he headed off in the opposite direction of Barry’s home. Where did the killer go? No one saw him outside Gowan Avenue and there are approximately seventy people on the Fulham Palace Road which Barry must have ran along if he were the killer yet no one saw a man running covered in blood. No one saw any one covered in blood. The killer must have driven away.

This all required great planning in order to carry out such a well performed murder and, if Barry is the killer, get away with it for over a year and leave no evidence to suggest he did it. How could this be achieved in only two days? How could he have got information about Jill and predict her movements on the day of her murder in only two days? The killer knew Jill was going to be there. The gunman could predict Jill’s movements. True, it is claimed Barry stalked Jill but there is no evidence to support this and if he did or did not stalk Jill there was no reason at for him to know Jill would be at Gowan Avenue because her journey there had not been planned until two days before her deatha nd this was only to change the cartridge in her fax machine so only a handful of people could have anticipated Jill being on Gowan Avenue because Jill told them she was going to this location.

Experts are in agreement – Barry is far from intelligent (he has an IQ of 74) and he cannot plan or organise his activities at all. He has significant brain damage due to severe epilepsy. The suggestion he planned a murder in only two days is ridiculous. He ranks in the bottom one percent of the population with regards to planning and organising his activities. When asked how he would plan a trip to a zoo he did not have any idea how to go about it. He did live a fairly independent life, some may think, but his life was centred on performing ritual behaviour – doing the same tasks, in the same order, each day. Therefore by doing this he knew what to do but he cannot carry out new tasks with any degree of competence. Put him in a new, unfamiliar situation and he will not be able to cope. How could he therefore kill someone for the first time, walk away very calmly, leave no clues, commit what could very well have been the perfect murder, say nothing about it until this alleged confession, if he had only two days preparation?


Barry needs supervision whilst working
This is the one issue that I actually believe. The ex-convict says that Barry is lazy and needs to be supervised when working because he cannot perform tasks on his own. The paper stated ‘even the simplest of work was often too much for the killer.’ This is in total agreement with everyone who knows him and has met him. Barry could never fit lights to his bicycle or repair a puncture. He had to have someone else perform these tasks. So if he is so hopeless at doing his prison work (doing tailoring work) how could he carry out, with precision, a well-planned act of execution?


Barry masterminding the murder of Nick Ross
If this was not such a serious issue I would have to laugh at the suggestion Barry could mastermind a murder. I have spoken with his family, friends, inmates who have served with him, others who campaign for him and many who have met him. The suggestion Barry could mastermind anything is completely without foundation. His organisation skills are so poor that if you tell him not to call round to your house without phoning first he will not be able to follow that simple instruction. He will have forgotten the instruction and repeatedly turn up unannounced. His IQ shows he has severe learning difficulties.


Barry’s alleged belief Nick Ross and Jill were ‘having it off’ and therefore Ross has to die
It seems incredibly odd to me that Barry should get be so concerned that Nick Ross might have had an affair with Jill Dando and that because they were allegedly ‘having it off’ Barry would want Nick Ross dead. I’d like to make it clear – there was no relationship between Jill and Nick other than a working relationship and the two were not even all that close. Work friends rather than proper friends is how you would describe them. It is claimed Jill was killed so that nobody else could have her but if this is the case then Nick Ross could not have her anymore so why the need to kill him? Also, why would Barry want Nick Ross dead when he knew without doubt Jill was having sexual relations with her fiancé Alan Farthing? Surely if Barry wanted anyone dead for ‘having it off’ with Jill it would be Farthing. This account sounds like the fabrication of someone who does not know that Jill was engaged to someone and just assumes that if Jill was having sexual relations with anyone it would be Nick Ross. Barry definitely knew Farthing and Jill were engaged because Farthing gave information at Barry’s trial about their engagement, how they met, etc. I wonder if the informant to the newspaper was aware that Barry knew about this?

If Barry did indeed stalk Jill Dando and he was, as the media has suggested, be obsessed with Jill then he would know about the engagement and so would have realised in January that he could not take Jill on a date. Jill was murdered on 26 April 1999 so what could have made Barry think on 24 April that he couldn’t take Jill on a date that he did not already know if this confession is true?

It is claimed Barry has a man in Hammersmith who is going to kill Nick Ross on behalf of Barry George. I find it extraordinary that a man who finds it difficult to make friends would know someone, and trust someone enough, to ask them to kill for him. Barry does not trust anyone. At times he does not trust his own supporters.

Why would Barry wait until 2004 to decide to kill Nick Ross when Jill Dando was killed in 1999 and Barry was convicted in 2001? It seems a long time to wait to gain revenge and kill out of jealousy. After all, according to this confession he killed Jill within two days so why wait so many years to kill Nick Ross?

I also find it difficult to believe Barry would confide his plans in anyone if indeed he was planning to mastermind a murder. No one who serves with him in prison likes Barry very much. They all regard him as strange and he does not trust his fellow inmates. I have met and spoken with someone who has served with him and he says Barry does not have any friends in the prison or anyone close to him. Barry has never before provided incriminating evidence or claimed responsibility. I find it odd that he would suddenly tell a man he did not really know that he murdered someone and was planning another murder when we know that the man he allegedly confided in went straight to the papers to sell his story upon release.

This is an important issue – this is not the first time that a confession has been reported. Another national tabloid printed a story in 2002 where Barry is alleged to have confessed. A tape recording was taken and the paper were foolish enough to believe its authenticity. The tape was proven to be a fake, produced by someone after some money. As a consequence of this fake tape Barry does not talk about his case to anyone. He rarely talks about it with his own campaign because he does not trust people. He fears journalists because he knows what they are like and he worries that people will pass on ridiculous stories to the press because he knows the stories that have appeared in the past and so he does not speak about his case to anyone. He constantly fears people will twist his words so the suggestion that he would talk about it to someone he did not really know is remarkable.

My contact, who served with Barry a year ago, has told me that you can twist Barry’s words so much and by asking him questions in a certain way you can get him to tell you pretty much whatever you want to hear. This is why he never testified at trial because he cannot give accurate, reliable information.

I find it highly curious that the newspaper concerned should use the headline ‘DANDO KILLER: TV’S NICK IS NEXT’ on their front-page when there is an alleged confession by Barry George for the murder of Jill Dando within. Which is the greater story – Barry allegedly claims he is planning to ‘mastermind’ Nick Ross’ murder or he has confessed to a crime that many people believe he is innocent of? Even if you say the two stories are of equal importance then why is the alleged confession not even given a reference on the front page? Could it be that the newspaper concerned does not particularly believe it to be plausible?


SUMMARY
I know a crime writer who has written about this case and who believes Barry to be guilty. Between us we have many years of knowledge about this case and so it is of significance that we both believe this allegation to be implausible and unconvincing, particularly the suggestion that Barry should wish to kill Nick Ross.

The allegations are indeed implausible and unconvincing. They are the fabrication of someone who does not understand the issues involved in the case because if the person who created these words knew anything about Jill Dando’s murder then they would have said Barry threatened to kill Farthing and not Ross and they would have claimed that Barry had decided to kill Jill at a much earlier stage because this crime took considerable planning. I could not have planned it in the two days available and Barry George could not have planned it even if two months were available. I have a very strong belief that whoever planned to commit this crime began planning at the very end of January or the beginning of February (Jill announced her engagement on 31 January 1999). It would quite conceivably have taken this long to plot the murder

I know of two men who have confessed to killing Jill Dando (neither of which are Barry George). The police do not believe the confessions and it is my sincere hope that the police will not believe this ludicrous story that Barry George has confessed to the murder because this is simply an attempt on the part of the ex-convict to make some money. Time after time inmates make allegations against other prisoners, claiming that a confession has taken place. More often than not the allegations are made to the media and there is no evidence to support the allegations and the innocence of the individuals is occasionally proven. Even the police have occasionally gained confessions only for the individual concerned to be proven innocent. For example, in the case of the Cardiff Three confessions were obtained by the police only for DNA evidence to prove the three men were innocent, with the real killer having now confessed. If the police can lie about confessions do you seriously believe that the word of an ex convict who has been paid for his story should be taken as fact?

I am also aware of the games that the press can play in relation to Barry George's case. Prior to the publication of my book various attempts were made to extract information from me with one individual claiming to have managed the Pet Shop Boys and Bon Jovi but made the foolish mistake of telling the Justice For Barry campaign too much about my book, claiming she read about it on a message board. We knew what this woman's intentions were; we proved she was a journalist trying to get some dirt about Barry. Another journalist from The News of the World newspaper deviously tried to trick Barry into providing information to them, by deceitfully claiming that they were to launch a campaign for his release and lied to Barry saying that I had recommended she should visit him in prison.

The Justice for Barry campaign and myself anticipated an alleged confession would be reported or that some form of bad publicity would take place. We discussed this issue in the weeks preceding the 'confession'. We knew this because the Criminal Cases Review Commission are expected to reach a decision soon as to whether or not Barry's case should be referred to the Court of Appeal. As a consequence of what happened last time (i.e. the proven fake taped confession prior to the last appeal) we were waiting for some form of story to take place. The press like to report these stories, not specifically because they cause damage for Barry (although the media are partly responsible for his conviction because they printed adverse stories before his trial jury were selected and indeed before Barry was even charged with Jill Dando's murder) but mainly because such stories sell newspapers.


Smaller issues from the article that need addressing
It is said Barry looks and smells like a tramp and never changes his clothes. Barry has too many clothes in prison and even if he did not the comment he wears the same clothes day in day out does not prove he killed Jill, it is just further juicy information to try and make a more sensational article and blacken opinion towards Barry. In my opinion it actually acts in his defence – someone who cannot look after his appearance and wears dirty clothing is unlikely to go to extreme lengths to cover up for a crime are they? Barry’s flat was indeed a terrible mess with years worth of rubbish within it but how could he have sifted his way through all of it to destroy any evidence of this alleged interest in Jill Dando? The comments are prejudicial and irrelevant. Whenever he is visited by friends or family he always appears clean. I have recent photographic evidence showing him to look clean. This proves the man who is making these allegations to be lying in this respect.

In Barry’s flat there were no press cuttings of articles with Jill mentioned or any other celebrities mentioned. There were 800 newspapers in his flat, all intact and these dated throughout the 1990s. Amongst all of these only eight articles were found, unmarked, that referred to Jill Dando. Their presence is coincidental when you consider eight articles in eight hundred newspapers is not at all significant. As a reviewer of my book commented, there must have been many articles about Tony Blair and other such public figures but does this demonstrate Barry was interested in these people?

Barry allegedly watched crime programmes and documentaries which is suspicious, the paper claims. TV companies would not broadcast crime programmes and documentaries if their only viewers were criminals would they? I watch crime programmes, does this make me a criminal? All who know Barry say that he only watched Top of the Pops and action films before his arrest. It’s completely irrelevant what he watches on television.

Barry was never arrested in the grounds of Kensington Palace. Following his conviction a police officer came forward to sell a story to the press. He said Barry had been in the grounds of the palace with a knife, length of rope and a letter to Princess Diana. It is strange the police have no record of this and, as I show in my book, Barry was allegedly only questioned for a couple of hours and let go without being charged or even cautioned. Ask yourself this: if a man was outside the home of the heir to the throne with a knife, rope and was intending to pass a letter to Princess Diana would he have been let out without being charged or without even receiving a caution? Think of all the people who have attempted to enter, or even entered Royal palaces. In each case the police made arrests, charged the individuals in some instances and the press had a field day reporting about the cases and yet there is not a single shred of evidence to support the claim Barry was in the grounds of Kensington Palace. It was merely an attempt, on the part of a police officer, to make some money out of George’s conviction.

The claim he had the names, addresses and details of models is wrong. He had some names of models that he had written down but no addresses.

Barry never denied having an interest in firearms but there is evidence showing his interest had diminished by 1999. By 1999 it was Freddie Mercury and music that took all his attention. See my book for a full destruction of the claim he was obsessed with guns.

As for the allegation he falsified an alibi, this is an issue that I leave you to decide on. Two separate women claimed Barry was with them at 11:50. If they were right Barry certainly had an alibi and could not have killed Jill. Later one of these said it might have been 11:50 but it was definitely around midday. The other woman remains, to this day, one hundred percent certain Barry was with her at 11:50. If she is right Barry is definitely innocent. She said he spent at least twenty minutes with her. The prosecution said he only arrived at 12:50 or thereabouts but we know that at 13:00 (at the latest) Barry was at a taxi company. Did he falsify an alibi? Is he wrong and the adamant witness also wrong?

Do you believe the confession is correct? I would be interested in your views so please contact me by clicking here.

Here is a good (unedited) comment from someone who has read the evidence and believes that the confession never took place:
I firmly believe this ex-concict is looking for self glory and money. He doesn't care about anything else. He's a liar. It's rubbish that Barry would confess when he has been protesting his innocence the whole time. We all know that Barry didn't kill Jill. All his supporters know this. I hope this article doesn't upset Barry to much, nor his family. The press have nothing else better to report anyway.

   
 
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