In a historic verdict Lord Lucan was named by an inquest jury as the man who murdered family nanny Sandra Rivett exactly 50 years ago – Sandra’s son is still fighting for justice and insists Lucan is still alive and living in Australia
Exactly 50 years ago one of the most dramatic British court verdicts in history came when a jury foreman uttered the words: “Murder by Lord Lucan.” It was the very last time an inquest jury ever named a killer. The jury identified Lucan as the man who murdered the family nanny Sandra Rivett in a case that gripped the world.
The law was quickly changed and no-one has ever been named as a killer at an inquest since. Westminster Coroner’s Court had just heard the inquest into Sandra who was found bludgeoned to death. Sandra’s son Neil Berriman has carried out extensive research into the inquest.
He has spent years investigating the case and insists that Lucan is still alive living in Australia. He is hoping the 50th anniversary will focus attention again on the case. He said: “It’s now 50 years since an inquest jury found Lord Lucan guilty of the murder of my mother. It was such an historic verdict.
“I believe Lucan is still alive and living in Australia. Why don’t the police interview this man? The world’s leading expert on facial recognition said it was certain that this old man is the same person as the old photos of Lord Lucan. It was a match. Two other facial recognition companies have come to the same conclusion.”
Berriman, a building contractor from Milland, west Sussex was featured in a three part BBC documentary last year. It focused on his battle to prove that an elderly man living in Queensland is Lucan. He said: “It’s so frustrating that this is still going on all these years later.
“I promise you I will get justice for Sandra. I will never stop fighting for her until my last breath on this earth. This is such an establishment stitch up. They’ve covered this up from the start.”
Back in November 1974 Sandra was killed in Belgravia, London. Lucan fled and was never seen again. Police believe he threw himself off a cross channel ferry but no body was ever found.
The inquest was held the following year and this is how the Daily Mirror reported the inquest: “Jury foreman William Thomas was asked if they had reached a decision.
“He replied, ‘Yes. Verdict, murder by Lord Lucan’. Coroner, Dr Gavin Thurston said: ‘I will record that Sandra Helena Rivett died from head injuries. The offence was committed by Richard John Bingham, Earl of Lucan. The coroner added, it is very rare for a Coroner’s Court that a person is named as you have done.
“It is my duty to commit that person to trial at the central Criminal Court. But he added, in this case, there is nobody I can commit for trial because we don’t know where Lord Lucan is. There is no doubt that if he turns up, he will be charged with the offence. I will keep this on my file until such time as there are any further developments.”
As he read the Mirror’s report, Berriman sighed: “Here we are 50 years on and justice still hasn’t been served.”