Looking at the Newsnight broadcast one is left staggered at the apparent mistakes that were made, not least the failure to show Mr Messham a photograph of Lord McAlpine that he might be afforded the opportunity to confirm an identification he made 16 years previously.
But it isn’t just the photo failure that stands out here. Known to almost every journalist who cares to take a look at the case was Mr Messham’s testimony at the original Waterhouse Tribunal held in 1997:
- Gerard Elias QC: “Does the name McAlpine mean anything to you.”
- Steven Messham: “Yes, sir.”
- Elias: “In what context?”
- Messham: “I was also abused by him sexually.”
- Sir Ronald Waterhouse: “Is the person you referred to alive or dead?”
- Messham: “I believe he is dead.”
Mr Messham very clearly indicates that his abuser is named McAlpine and is dead. Now, Lord McAlpine is very clearly not dead, thus one might have assumed that this inconsistency would have been picked up by Newsnight.
