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Family of Barry George hope to clear his name
 THE
IRISH family of the the man convicted of the murder of TV personality
Jill Dando have spoken of their belief that fresh evidence will clear
his name.
Their comments came as the High Court in London refused to release Barry
George on bail pending a fresh appeal scheduled for November.
George has been in prison for the past six years after being found guilty
of killing the BBC personality.
But a second appeal hearing was granted after major concerns about the
safety of his original conviction emerged.
The sister of Barry George, Michelle Diskin, travelled from her home in
Cork to London for the bail hearing — and expressed hope the new
appeal will finally clear her brother’s name.
She said: “There is still a lot of hard work to do.
“It is quite difficult to organise the whole thing from Ireland.”
The family said they were disappointed Barry will have to remain in custody
pending the hearing but are hopeful his name will be finally cleared.
The conviction has been the subject of controversy ever since the verdict
was first announced six years ago.
The latest appeal bid came after the BBC documentary programme Panorama
broadcast an investigation into the case which raised queries over the
forensic evidence used to convict George and highlighted the fact two
jurors were now unhappy with the original conviction.
Much of the prosecution’s case rested on a single speck of residue
found in the pocket of George’s coat which they calimed was from
the gun used to kill 37-year-old Miss Dando.
But a review into the case concluded the weight placed on that evidence
at the trial was inappropriate.
George — whose sister Michelle lives in Ballincollig and whose uncle
Michael lives in Limerick — has always vehemently protested his
innocence.
Jill Dando was shot as she entered her home in the West London suburb
of Fulham.
Despite George’s conviction for the crime no motive for her killing
has ever been established.
Various commentators have also raised doubts over whether George had the
capacity to carry out what was described at the time as a well-planned
shooting carried out by a professional hitman. |
