Who was George Carman QC, when did he represent Jeremy Thorpe in his trial and what other cases did he work on?
GEORGE Carman was born in 1929 and went on to be perhaps the most celebrated barrister at his height in the 1980s and 1990s, not only successfully defending Jeremy Thorpe but went on to represent a whole host of famous people.
Among the famous names like Ken Dodd, Carman also took on high profile cases involving ordinary people, representing Carole Richardson, one of the Guildford Four.
Early career and the Thorpe scandal
Carman was called to the bar in 1953 and spent most of his time doing criminal and personal injury work.
He was made a Queen's Counsel in 1971, and moved to Byrom Street chambers.
Carman defended the manager of Battersea Fun Fair in 1973, when he was accused of manslaughter after a big dipper ride malfunctioned the previous year and resulted in the deaths of five kids.
The case brought him to the attention of the London solicitor Sir David Napley, who instructed him to represent Jeremy Thorpe, the former Leader of the Liberal Party.
After Jeremy Thorpe's trial
Jeremy Thorpe's trial was a cause célèbre and a high profile case which made Carman's name and he went on to feature in many high profile cases, often involving celebrities like Sir Elton John, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Despite the famous names he cited his 1981 case defending Dr Leonard Arthur, a consultant paediatrician, as his finest moment. Arthur had been accused of murdering a Down Syndrome baby.
In a 1999 interview with The Observer he said: "He was a very dedicated doctor and clearly a kind and moral man who had done much good for thousands of mothers in this country - hundreds of whom wrote to him and sent flowers during the trial. His acquittal by the jury, very quickly, is the moment in my career which has given me the greatest pleasure."
Carman's famous cases
1982 Geoffrey Prime, a British spy who sold and disclosed information to the Soviet Union and also indecently assaulted young girls
1983 Peter Adamson, defended the Coronation Street actor who was charged with indecently assaulting two eight-year-old girls in a public swimming pool in Haslingden
1989 Ken Dodd, successfully defended the comedian over tax evasion charges
1989 Carole Richardson, one of the Guildford Four
1991 Tried to save the famous Manchester nightclub the Hacienda from police closure
1994 Defended The Sun in a libel case bought by the EastEnders actress Gillian Taylforth
1998 Defended Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in their libel case against Express Newspapers
2000 Defended Harrods boss Mohammed Al-Fayed against the former Tory MP Neil Hamilton
Carman's famous one-liners
Not only did Carman have a sharp, agile mind he was adept at the put-downs and one liners.
On Jeremy Thorpe: "He is human, like us all. We learn - do we not? - that idols sometimes have feet of clay."
On David Mellor: "Behaved like an ostrich and put his head in the sand, thereby exposing his thinking parts."
On Ken Dodd: "Some accountants are comedians, but comedians are never accountants."
On Neil Hamilton: "On the make and on the take" and "a man with no honour left".