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24 Facts About George Carman

1.

George Carman later appeared in a series of widely publicised criminal cases and libel cases.

2.

George Carman's parents met in Ireland; his mother was the daughter of a Waterford cattle dealer, Michael Moylan.

3.

George Carman attended St Joseph's College in Blackpool, run by Christian Brothers from Ireland, and a Roman Catholic seminary, St Joseph's College, Upholland, where he trained to be a priest.

4.

George Carman graduated in 1952 with a first-class honours degree in jurisprudence.

5.

George Carman was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1953, after passing his bar finals in May of that year with a third class degree.

6.

George Carman was a pupil barrister at the chambers of Neil Lawson at 1 Harcourt Buildings and then practised as a barrister on the Northern Circuit in Manchester, based at the chambers of Godfrey Heilper QC at 60 King Street, later 47 Peter Street, doing mostly criminal and personal injury work.

7.

George Carman was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1971, and moved to Byrom Street Chambers, with a London seat at 5 Essex Court in the Temple.

8.

George Carman defended the manager of Battersea Fun Fair in 1973, when the manager was accused of manslaughter after the big dipper ride malfunctioned in May 1972, resulting in the deaths of five children.

9.

George Carman practised exclusively from London chambers after June 1980.

10.

In 1981, George Carman defended Leonard Arthur, a consultant paediatrician, which he would later see as his proudest moment.

11.

In 1981, George Carman accepted an appointment to the High Court in Hong Kong, but later declined it, preferring to argue cases in court.

12.

In 1982, George Carman unsuccessfully defended Geoffrey Prime, a British spy who sold and disclosed information to the Soviet Union and indecently assaulted young girls.

13.

George Carman asserted that Calvi was murdered, and convinced the High Court to reverse the original verdict of suicide and order a new inquest.

14.

George Carman became known for his celebrity clients, attracting headlines for his robust cross-examination, colourful one-liners in court and for winning difficult cases against seemingly insurmountable odds.

15.

When called back to Manchester in 1991 to save the Hacienda nightclub from the threat of police closure, George Carman soon found the problem: the proclamations of owner Tony Wilson.

16.

George Carman was head of chambers of New Court, Temple for 20 years before the chambers dissolved under him in January 2000.

17.

Seven months later, on 29 August 2000, George Carman announced his retirement.

18.

George Carman married Ursula Groves in 1955; they separated in 1958 and were divorced in 1960.

19.

George Carman then married Cecilia Sparrow in July 1960, with whom he had one son, Dominic Carman.

20.

George Carman married Frances Venning in March 1976; they separated in 1983 and divorced in 1984.

21.

George Carman appeared as a guest on the BBC's Desert Island Discs in June 1990.

22.

George Carman suffered with prostate cancer for several years, and died on 2 January 2001, in Merton in southwest London.

23.

George Carman's funeral was held at Westminster Cathedral with a memorial service at St Clement Danes.

24.

In 2018, George Carman was portrayed by Adrian Scarborough in the BBC drama A Very English Scandal about the Thorpe affair.