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7 -
iii)
iv)
Whether MacLennan's prosecution for alleged homo-
sexuality was or was not, in fact, just, it is
clear that on the 14th January 1980 he was suddenly
made aware by Supt Trotman that the question of his
prosecution for homosexual offences which, according
to Supt Pelly, "he had assumed was in the past" was
in the process of being re-activated by the S I U.
It does not seem to me to matter a great deal whether
he knew the details i e that all 8 counts were to be
used against him or only a lesser number. He must
have known that, guilty or not, a great deal of
unpleasantness was to follow and there was some chance
that he might be convicted and imprisoned.
He may
have stated that he wanted to go to court and face the
charges in 1978 but did he really? And had he changed
his mind in 1980? Could he have tired of the whole thing
and just be wanting it to stay dropped? I, of course,
do not know the answres to these questions but it seems
to me that the situation certainly provides MacLennan
with a strong motive for suicide. If Pelly is telling
the truth MacLennan realised the possibility that he
might be arrested the next day and was worried that he
had no money with which to obtain bail - he would
therefore be likely to be placed in custody. On this
point, it might be worth investigating the state of
MacLennan's finance to see if this pennilessness was
a matter of fact. (See D v).
Within 12 hours of his being informed of this worrying
state of affairs MacLennan unusually left a message
that he was to be called at 5.30 a m and at 5.55 a m
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