Barry George (born 15 April 1960) is a British man who spent eight years in prison after being convicted for the murder of television presenter Jill Dando. His conviction was quashed after an appeal and he was acquitted at a retrial.

Background

George was born in London in 1960. Public records and reports note a history of mental health difficulties and a reported IQ of around 75. Before his trial, he had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and assessed as having three personality disorders: antisocial, histrionic and narcissistic.

As a young man he enjoyed roller sports and was a keen roller skater, once performing a public stunt that involved jumping a line of buses from a ramp. He used several aliases over time, at points calling himself Paul Gadd (the real name of Gary Glitter), Steve Majors and Barry Bulsara; he also made an unfounded claim of being related to Freddie Mercury.

Earlier criminal convictions

During the early 1980s George received convictions for offences that included impersonating a police officer, attempted rape and indecent assault. In 1983 he was detained after entering the grounds of Kensington Palace while Prince Charles and Princess Diana were in residence; at that time he was found carrying a knife, a rope and a poem he had written for the prince. Police later discovered photographs in his flat that showed him wearing a mask and holding imitation weapons.

George was arrested in 2000 and charged with the murder of Jill Dando. He was convicted in 2001, but the conviction was overturned on appeal and a retrial was ordered. At the subsequent retrial he was found not guilty. Witness statements used in his defence argued that he could not have been the killer at the time of the attack, citing sightings of him at locations and times inconsistent with the original timeline. George was released from custody on 1 August 2008. In 2013 authorities declined to award him compensation for the period he spent imprisoned for a crime for which he was later acquitted.

After release

Following his release, George relocated to Ballincollig in County Cork, where he has been reported to live.