▁was ▁sc ath ing ▁about ▁the ▁pro sec ution ' s ▁evidence , ▁and ▁all ▁four ▁defend ants ▁were ▁acqu itted . ▁Nevertheless , ▁Thor pe ' s ▁public ▁reputation ▁was ▁dam aged ▁irre par ably ▁by ▁the ▁case . ▁He ▁had ▁chosen ▁not ▁to ▁test ify ▁at ▁the ▁trial , ▁which ▁left ▁several ▁matters ▁un exp la ined ▁amid ▁public ▁dis qu iet . ▁ ▁Thor pe ' s ▁ret irement ▁into ▁private ▁life ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁Park inson ' s ▁disease ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁and ▁he ▁made ▁few ▁public ▁statements ▁afterwards . ▁He ▁eventually ▁achieved ▁a ▁recon c ili ation ▁with ▁the ▁North ▁Dev on ▁Liberal ▁Dem ocrat ▁constitu ency ▁party , ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁honor ary ▁president ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁Al leg ations ▁of ▁supp ression ▁of ▁evidence ▁by ▁the ▁police ▁before ▁the ▁trial ▁were ▁under ▁investigation ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁reaching ▁a ▁cul min ation ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁when ▁the ▁police ▁said ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁new ▁evidence ▁and ▁the ▁case ▁would ▁remain ▁closed . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Hom osex ual ity ▁and ▁English ▁law ▁Before ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁Sex ual ▁Off ences ▁Act ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁which ▁dec riminal ised ▁most ▁hom osex ual ▁acts ▁in ▁England ▁and ▁Wales ▁( but ▁did ▁not ▁apply ▁to ▁Scotland ▁or ▁Northern ▁Ireland ), ▁all ▁sexual