▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁enjo ying ▁a ▁res urg ence ▁of ▁popular ity ▁and ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁government . ▁Att empt s ▁to ▁buy ▁or ▁fright en ▁Scott ▁into ▁silence ▁were ▁un success ful , ▁and ▁the ▁problem ▁deep ened , ▁until ▁the ▁fall out ▁following ▁the ▁shooting ▁of ▁his ▁dog ▁during ▁a ▁possible ▁murder ▁attempt ▁by ▁a ▁h ired ▁gun man ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁brought ▁the ▁matter ▁into ▁the ▁open . ▁After ▁further ▁newspaper ▁revel ations , ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁the ▁Liberal ▁leadership ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁and ▁subsequent ▁police ▁investig ations ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁charged , ▁with ▁three ▁others , ▁with ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁murder ▁Scott . ▁Before ▁the ▁case ▁came ▁to ▁trial , ▁Thor pe ▁lost ▁his ▁parliament ary ▁seat ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁general ▁election . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁trial ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁the ▁pro sec ution ' s ▁case ▁dep ended ▁heavily ▁on ▁the ▁evidence ▁of ▁Scott , ▁of ▁Thor pe ' s ▁former ▁parliament ary ▁colle ague ▁Peter ▁B ess ell , ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁h ired ▁gun man , ▁Andrew ▁Newton . ▁None ▁of ▁these ▁witness es ▁im pressed ▁the ▁court ; ▁B ess ell ' s ▁cred ibility ▁was ▁und erm ined ▁by ▁the ▁revel ations ▁of ▁his ▁financial ▁arrang ements ▁with ▁The ▁Sunday ▁Te legraph . ▁In ▁his ▁sum ming - up ▁the ▁judge