Lucan secrets ‘to be told from beyond the grave’
Sibling’s papers could hold vital evidence
LORD Lucan’s brother has died, sparking speculation his personal documents may finally reveal the truth behind the disgraced baron’s mysterious disappearance.
Hugh Bingham passed away at the age of 78 in South Africa in July, but his death was only revealed at the weekend.
Experts believe there may be letters documents among his personal effects that could reveal what happened to his brother. Mr Bingham was also working on a book, which may contain further information about the mystery.
Lord Lucan vanished in 1974 after killing the family nanny, Sandra Rivett, 29, in his home in Belgravia, Central London. He was never seen again.
James Sanders, an investigative journalist who knew Mr Bingham well, said he would often hint that he had information about Lord Lucan’s fate, but failed to provide any solid evidence.
Mr Sanders explained: “He would talk at length about his brother’s innocence, yet refused to reveal if Lucan was still alive or where he had lived.
“It was impossible to know if they were in touch, though it seemed likely.”
Mr Bingham had been living a reclusive life in a suburb of Johannesburg, where he had worked as librarian.
The Oxford graduate moved to South Africa just months after his brother’s
disappearance. This sparked unsubstantiated rumours that he may have been in contact with his sibling, who had managed to slip out of Britain. Mr Bingham, who had always maintained that his brother was innocent, had been ghostwriting Lord Lucan’s “autobiography”.
The book was due to put forward theories about his possible escape from England and detail various guises that he may then have adopted.
Speaking in 2016, after the High Court declared his brother dead, Mr Bingham said: “John had no option but to flee. He would have considered his chances of a fair trial to be very slim.”
Mr Bingham said one of the theories covered in his biography was that Lord Lucan had escaped Britain with a fake passport and built a new life as a farm manager in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.
Lucan and Lady Veronica were fighting over custody of their three children. He is thought to have killed Ms Rivett after mistaking her for his wife.
Mr Bingham also suspected Veronica, who committed suicide last year age 80, had an affair with a Scotland Yard officer.
Mr Bingham said of his brother: “He confided in me during the most difficult times in his marriage and I sympathised deeply with his plight.”
He talked about his brother a lot. It’s likely they had contact JAMES SANDERS ON THE LATE HUGH BINGHAM