Other High Profile Cases and Persons of Interest > Twenty years on, the mystery of who shot Jill Dando still prevails.
How Credible Is The Theory Involving The IRA?
Holly Goodhead:
At BG's second trial his defence went through thousands of docs and found a letter from a Wayne Aird who claims to have been a member of the real IRA and part of a 4 man squad who assassinated Jill as a result of her work on Crimewatch:
There were also claims today that an IRA hit squad killed Jill, again amid fears that her Crimewatch show, watched by up to 10million each week, would expose its members.
Wayne Aird wrote a letter from prison, where he was serving life for killing a man months after the presenter's death, because he said he knew Barry George was not the killer.
He said the IRA shot Miss Dando on her doorstep, fleeing in a Land Rover to a London safe house, but claimed they were not prosecuted in order to protect the Northern Ireland peace process.
Aird said that he was told by a senior IRA boss in a target meeting that Miss Dando would be targeted.
He wrote: 'Being a member of the Real IRA the one thing I expect to gain from my confession is a bullet. Informers don't last very long. I'm prepared to go Queen's evidence on this statement.'
Leeds solicitor Stuart Page, who met and spoke to Aird, wrote at the time: 'It is quite possible the contents of his statement are pure make-believe. However, that is not a view that I formed during my short meeting with Mr Aird.'
It was reported that police knew about the letter but did not investigate further.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3017544/How-police-failed-trace-100-suspects-Jill-Dando-murder-questioned-Cliff-Richard-Jeremy-Paxman-life.html
Holly Goodhead:
At the time of Jill's murder the NI peace process and ceasefire (Provisional IRA) had been in place for around a couple of years but dissident groups eg the Real IRA continued to carry out violent acts eg Omagh in Aug 1998.
Is it really credible that the Real IRA would launch an audacious attack on a UK based tv presenter for presenting crimewatch?
I would have thought Garda, UK intelligence agencies, RUC and others such as FBI would have a very good idea if not detailed profiles about the main players in Real IRA and other splinter groups.
Holly Goodhead:
The above article/Wayne Aird said the Real IRA murdered Jill to prevent her identifying them on Crimewatch and yet she was merely the presenter who would simply be replaced by a.n other who turned out to be Fiona Bruce.
Holly Goodhead:
If the Real IRA wanted to make a political point then why not claim responsibility otherwise surely there's no political point to be made?
Holly Goodhead:
At the time of Wayne Aird writing he was serving a life sentence at Wakefield for murdering Timothy Pincott on 23rd June 1999:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jan/18/geoffreygibbs
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