▁with ▁Scott . ▁Hol mes ▁and ▁Le ▁Mes ur ier ▁con co cted ▁a ▁story ▁involving ▁a ▁black mail er ▁who ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁fright ened ▁off ; ▁De ak in ▁agreed ▁to ▁help . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁De ak in ▁met ▁Andrew ▁Newton , ▁an ▁air line ▁pilot , ▁who ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁willing ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁Scott ▁for ▁an ▁appropriate ▁fee — between ▁£ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁£ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁was ▁suggested . ▁De ak in ▁put ▁Newton ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁Hol mes . ▁Newton ▁always ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁h ired ▁to ▁kill , ▁not ▁fright en , ▁cit ing ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁fee ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁offered — to o ▁much , ▁he ▁said , ▁simply ▁to ▁sc are ▁someone . ▁ ▁While ▁these ▁arrang ements ▁proceeded , ▁Thor pe ▁wrote ▁to ▁Sir ▁Jack ▁Hay ward , ▁the ▁Bah am as - based ▁million aire ▁business man , ▁who ▁had ▁given ▁gener ously ▁to ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁in ▁the ▁past . ▁In ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Liber als ' ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁election ▁success es , ▁Thor pe ▁asked ▁for ▁£ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁re pl en ish ▁the ▁party ' s ▁funds . ▁He ▁further ▁requested ▁that ▁£ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁this ▁sum ▁be ▁paid , ▁not ▁into ▁the ▁party ' s ▁regular ▁accounts ▁but ▁to ▁Nad ir ▁Din sh aw , ▁an