Lawyer who defended Barry George over Jill Dando's murder claims police should ... trends now
Barry George's defence lawyer in the case of Jill Dando's murder has claimed police should reopen the case to look at a Serbian assassin who looks like a mystery man.
Mr George, now 64, was tried and convicted of the TV presenter's murder but after spending eight years in jail, he was cleared.
The beloved 37-year-old journalist's death after she was shot in the head on her front doorstep in April 1999 has been the subject of countless speculation, but the case hasn't been touched in 10 years.
A facial comparison expert gave 'limited support' to the theory that twice-convicted killer Milorad Ulemek, who is serving 40 years in a Serbian prison, looks like the unidentified person along the gunman's likely escape route.
This is the second lowest on a subjective scale range from 'no support' to 'powerful support'.
However he said he couldn't discard the possibility that someone with the 'general appearance' of the assassin could be the blurry mystery man, according to The Mirror.
But now Michael Mansfield KC - who defended Mr George in his trial - has called for the investigation to be reopened after the expert found similarities between a man seen on CCTV following the murder and a notorious assassin.
Jill Dando was shot in the head on her front doorstep in April 1999 and her death has been the subject of countless speculation but hasn't been touched in 10 years
Within hours of her passing, a call claimed it was in response to British planes bombing Serbia
The Crimewatch star once time admitted that her role on the show left her in fear of retribution from the criminals she sought to expose
Expert Emi Polito found a number of similarities between "Man X" in blurry CCTV and Ulemek
Notorious assassin Milorad Lukovic Ulemek, alias Legija, seen in May 2004
Emi Polito was commissioned by the newspaper to compare the CCTV of Man X to the assassin.
At the time of Jill's death, the 56-year-old hitman led a squad of assassins targeting those opposing dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
It has long been suspected that she was shot by a professional assassin
The journalist made an appeal for Kosovan refugees dying at the hands of his forces, and within hours of her passing, a call claimed the hit was in response to British planes bombing Serbia.
CCTV of 'sweating' Man X showed a suspect getting on a bus in Fulham, south-west London, shortly after Jill was shot nearby.
Mr Polito alleges the assassin and Man X share a similarly shaped mouth, chin and hairline.
The Mirror reports the expert as saying the general shape and sizes of their noses and ear are also the same.
But the CCTV imagery was blurry and he clarified that his observations only add 'light weight' to the theory that they're the same person.
When the assassin was asked if he murdered the journalist, his lawyer said 'he is not interested in participating,' The Mirror
