enc ourt ", ▁had ▁originally ▁been ▁h ired ▁by ▁Wilson ▁after ▁his ▁ret irement , ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁former ▁prime ▁minister ' s ▁theory ▁that ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁a ▁target ▁of ▁South ▁African ▁intelligence ▁ag encies . ▁P enc ourt ' s ▁investig ations ▁led ▁them ▁to ▁B ess ell , ▁who ▁gave ▁them ▁his ▁account ▁of ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁murder ▁Scott , ▁and ▁Thor pe ' s ▁role ▁in ▁it . ▁Before ▁they ▁could ▁publish , ▁they ▁were ▁sc oop ed ; ▁Newton , ▁released ▁from ▁prison ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁sold ▁his ▁story ▁to ▁the ▁London ▁Even ing ▁News . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁paid ▁£ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁kill ▁Scott , ▁and ▁provided ▁photograph s ▁of ▁him ▁receiving ▁payment ▁from ▁Le ▁Mes ur ier . ▁A ▁length y ▁police ▁inqu iry ▁followed , ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁which ▁Thor pe , ▁Hol mes , ▁Le ▁Mes ur ier ▁and ▁De ak in ▁were ▁charged ▁with ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁murder . ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁addition ally ▁charged ▁with ▁inc itement ▁to ▁murder , ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁his ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁meet ings ▁with ▁B ess ell ▁and ▁Hol mes . ▁After ▁being ▁released ▁on ▁b ail , ▁Thor pe ▁declared : ▁" I ▁am ▁totally ▁innoc ent ▁of ▁this ▁charge ▁and ▁will ▁vig or ously ▁challenge ▁it ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁Thor pe ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁House ▁of ▁Commons