Carl Beech, a former nurse who fabricated allegations about a murderous VIP paedophile ring in Westminster, has been jailed for 18 years. The 51-year-old was convicted on Monday of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud following a 10-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court.
Beech's false claims, made under the pseudonym 'Nick', accused a group of establishment figures including former Prime Minister Edward Heath, Lord Bramall, Lord Brittan, and former MP Harvey Proctor of abusing, kidnapping, and murdering boys. The allegations led to a multimillion-pound Scotland Yard inquiry, Operation Midland, which ended without any arrests.
Victims of Beech's lies read emotional impact statements in court. Lord Bramall, now 95, described the 'monstrous' allegations as the worst wound he had ever suffered, noting his wife died without knowing he had been cleared. Lady Brittan revealed her family had to hire security for her husband's burial after he died with the allegations hanging over him. Harvey Proctor fought back tears as he described the devastation.
Beech also fraudulently claimed £22,000 in compensation for the false abuse, using some to buy a Ford Mustang. He admitted hoarding child abuse images and secretly filming a teenager, and fled to Sweden before being captured.
Sentencing, Justice Goss told Beech he was 'an intelligent, resourceful, manipulative and devious person' and that his false claims had undermined genuine abuse victims. Beech must serve half his 18-year sentence behind bars, a term that prompted gasps in court.
