`Odd' gun revives stalker theory in Dando killing

SPECULATION THAT the killer of the television presenter Jill Dando was a stalker, was renewed yesterday after it was revealed that the gun used was probably owned by a firearms enthusiast.

Detectives have also found evidence of obsessive behaviour by followers of Ms Dando, including one man who pretended to be her brother.

But it is the disclosure that the weapon used to kill Ms Dando was an extremely unusual adapted firearm which is the clearest indicator that a fanatic, rather than a professional hitman, was responsible.

Police believe the 9mm semi-automatic handgun was probably converted from a gun firing blank rounds or it was cut down from a long barrelled firearm. The third, less likely alternative, is that it was originally a "deactivated" gun that had been made safe, but had later been illegally reactivated.

The revelation came as it emerged that detectives spent three months following and bugging an innocent man. The suspect and his girlfriend were followed by several teams of detectives, but he was later found not to be involved in the killing.

A police source said it was one of several leads being examined. Detectives refused to reveal the cost of the surveillance operation and said that a report that it was pounds 500,000 was "nonsense".A senior police source said yesterday that the type of gun used was not favoured by professional criminals. He said he was not aware of one being used in a crime. "It's almost unheard of," he added.

The gun was adapted so that it had a "smooth" barrel, which made it less accurate. Firearm manufacturers do not make a "smooth" barrelled 9mm pistol. Detectives believe the killer must have had a detailed knowledge of firearms or contacts in the guns trade.

Ms Dando, 37, was killed by a single shot to her head on the doorstep of her home in Gowan Avenue, Fulham, south-west London, on 26 April.

Scotland Yard has struggled to determine the motive. Detectives have been working on the theory that she was killed by professional criminals, possibly in revenge for her appearances on BBC's Crimewatch television programme, or by an obsessed stalker or fan.

Evidence to support the stalker theory has emerged including a man who, shortly before the shooting, claimed to be her brother and tried to have her electricity bill moved to his name. Another man contacted BT giving Ms Dando's ex-directory telephone number and address and asking for her line to be changed to his name. The suspect has not been traced and his motive for wanting his name on the bill is unknown.

Detectives found that Ms Dando also featured in web sites in mocked- up nude poses. Police have found men with huge numbers of pictures of the television star, including one who had 150 images of her on his computer.

A source indicated that there were 22 "mystery men" seen in the road around the time of the murder who had not been traced. Eleven of those match the description of a man seen walking from Ms Dando's home at the time of her death.