Falconer: BBC payment to Fearon is disgusting
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Condemnation of the BBC for paying a burglar shot by Norfolk farmer Tony Martin to take part in a documentary intensified last night as the Lord Chancellor said the payment was "disgusting".
Lord Falconer said: "I can recognise that there might be some very, very, very exceptional cases where it might be permissible, but [this] is most certainly not one of them," he told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions.
"What happened in relation to Mr Martin was investigated in a trial, there was an appeal. We didn't need the BBC to pay Mr Fearon to find out what happened. It might make good programming, but it is a disgusting warping of values, in my view."
Earlier the man who wrote to the BBC's producer guidelines also attacked the payment, said to be £4,500, to Brendan Fearon. Richard Ayre, who was the BBC's controller of editorial policy and deputy chief executive of news from 1996-99, said the sum apparently paid to Fearon were "extraordinarily large".
Mr Ayre said the only public-interest justification for interviewing Fearon would be to challenge him as to why he changed his story about exactly where Martin was when he and Fred Barras, who was shot dead by Martin, entered the house.
The Court of Appeal noted, when it reduced Martin's conviction to manslaughter, that this point had not been dealt with in Fearon's cross-examination at the original trial.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments