VIP sex accuser ‘Nick’ unmasked
THE man known as “Nick” whose accusations sparked the VIP paedophile investigation and who has been charged with perverting the course of justice can today be named as Carl Beech.
As the alleged victim of a sex crime, Mr Beech, a 50-year-old former NHS manager and father of one, was not identified when he first came forward four years ago, claiming he had been abused by a group of high-profile figures and leading politicians when he was a child in the Seventies and Eighties.
But he can finally be named after a legal restriction was lifted during a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court. It can now be revealed that Mr Beech is a former governor of two schools.
Born in Wrexham, his mother is a retired Church of England vicar.
After leaving school he qualified as a nurse before moving into NHS management, becoming the head of patient advice, liaison services and complaints at a large trust. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Healthcare Management.
He married a fellow nurse in 1992 and they have one son, but the marriage broke down a number of years ago.
In 2014 Scotland Yard launched a major criminal investigation, Operation Midland, after Mr Beech came forward and told detectives he had been the victim of historic abuse. It is alleged that he falsely told police he had been raped and abused for nine years by a VIP gang that included Sir Edward Heath, the former prime minister; Leon Brittan, the former home secretary; Lord Bramall, the former head of the Army; Harvey Proctor, the former Tory MP; and Greville Janner, the former Labour MP and peer.
As well as alleging child rape, Mr Beech told police officers at least three youngsters had been murdered at the hands of the VIP paedophile ring.
However, Scotland Yard’s £2.5 million inquiry was closed in 2016 without any arrests being made.
A review by a retired High Court judge into the Scotland Yard investigation highlighted more than 40
mistakes by the force. In September 2017, Northumbria Police, which had spent 10 months investigating the case, passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which in turn charged Mr Beech with 12 counts of perverting the course of justice.
He was also charged with fraud in relation to an allegation that he profited from his allegations by making a claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority – fraudulently receiving £22,000 in compensation for abuse that never took place.
Mr Beech appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to face the 13 charges. The case has now been listed for a sixto eight-week trial to begin at Newcastle on May 7 next year.
Judge Paul Sloan QC, the Recorder of Newcastle, lifted an order that had previously been in place banning the identity of Mr Beech.
At a previous pre-trial hearing before Judge Sloan, Raymond Tully, Mr Beech’s barrister, said: “We anticipate the matter will be fully contested.”
He spoke only once to answer “I am” when asked whether he was Carl Beech.
His case will be back before the court on Feb 11 next year for one of a number of further pre-trial hearings scheduled before May.