A STORY that rocked the country has recently resurfaced after more than 40 years – and it was the West Somerset Free Press that first broke the news about an alleged murder attempt.

It saw MP and Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe in the dock, in what was described as the trial of the century.

This week saw national news stories and TV programmes rekindle the events, in which the former MP’s ex-lover, Norman Scott, said an attempt was made on his life and his dog was killed, after they were found on a foggy night on Exmoor in 1975.

He and Jeremy Thorpe had been lovers in the early 1960s, when homosexuality was still illegal. Attempts to buy or frighten Scott into silence failed, but the shooting of his dog during the alleged murder attempt by a hired gunman, brought everything into the open.

Originally headlined ’The Great Dane Death Mystery’, it was the Free Press which first broke the story, on October 31, 1975.

The front page lead described how a man, who claimed an attempt was made on his life, was found on a lonely stretch of moorland road from Porlock to Lynmouth, near County Gate, hugging the still warm body of his black Great Dane, which had been shot through the head.

‘The mystery started at 8.50pm on Friday evening, October 24, when Automobile Association patrolman Ted Lethaby, of Heathcliffe, Countisbury, was driving to Minehead with three friends,” the report in the Free Press said. …

Following a call by the Free Press’ to Mr Thorpe’s agent, the then editor, Jack Hurley, received a bizarre phone call from a man with a false Scottish accent.

However, Mr Hurley recognised the man’s voice as Jeremy Thorpe, and challenged him.

The MP eventually admitted it was him, and did his best to persuade Mr Hurley not to publish the story.

He was unsuccessful and the Free Press led the country on what was to become a major scandal.

Retired Williton man David Sully, a typesetter on the Free Press at the time, remembered that week well.

“I remember one of our reporters ... investigated and got the story – and we were the first in the country to carry it.

“It doesn’t happen many times that we have such a national story with a top politician, on our doorstep.

“It was a huge talking point after that,” he said.

Buy the Free Press to read the full report from 1975 and this week.