▁March ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁the ▁Labour ▁government ▁fell ▁on ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁no ▁confidence , ▁and ▁a ▁general ▁election ▁was ▁called ▁for ▁ 3 ▁May . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁brief ▁delay ▁in ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁trial ▁as ▁Thor pe , ▁who ▁still ▁had ▁a ▁following ▁among ▁North ▁Dev on ▁Liber als , ▁was ▁adopted ▁as ▁their ▁candidate ▁in ▁the ▁election . ▁L arg ely ▁isolated ▁from ▁his ▁party ' s ▁national ▁campaign , ▁he ▁lost ▁the ▁seat ▁to ▁Conserv ative ▁Anton y ▁Sp eller ▁by ▁over ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁ ▁The ▁trial ▁began ▁on ▁ 8 ▁May , ▁under ▁Sir ▁Joseph ▁Cant ley , ▁a ▁relatively ▁obsc ure ▁High ▁Court ▁judge ▁with ▁limited ▁experience ▁of ▁high - profile ▁cases . ▁To ▁conduct ▁his ▁defence ▁Thor pe ▁engaged ▁George ▁Car man , ▁who ▁had ▁established ▁a ▁criminal ▁law ▁practice ▁on ▁the ▁Northern ▁Circ uit ▁in ▁Manchester ; ▁this ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁high - profile ▁national ▁case . ▁Car man ▁und erm ined ▁B ess ell ' s ▁cred ibility ▁by ▁reve aling ▁his ▁financial ▁interest ▁in ▁Thor pe ' s ▁conv iction : ▁his ▁newspaper ▁contract ▁provided ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁acqu itt al , ▁only ▁half ▁the ▁£ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁would ▁be ▁paid . ▁The ▁judge ▁left ▁no ▁doubt ▁as ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁low ▁opinion ▁of ▁B ess ell ' s ▁character ; ▁A uber on ▁W augh , ▁who ▁was ▁writing ▁a ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁trial , ▁thought