Son of Lord Lucan's Murdered Nanny Claims to Have Found Missing Earl Alive
EXCLUSIVE: Neil Berriman, the son of murdered nanny Sandra Rivett, claims to have hunted down her killer Lord Lucan - and found him 'living as a Buddhist in Australia'
Daily Mirror •30 Jan 2020
The son of the nanny killed by Lord Lucan claims he has found the peer in Australia.
Neil Berriman says Lucan, who vanished after the murder of Sandra Rivett in 1974, lives as a Buddhist in a shared house.
After telling police of his findings, he said: “I know he’s still alive.”
The man he believes to be Lucan is in his mid-80s and seriously ill, awaiting major surgery and virtually housebound in a large shared detached house in the suburbs.
Mr Berriman, 52, has been to Scotland Yard’s Cold Case Unit with his findings, telling them: “I believe I have tracked down the man, Lord Lucan, who murdered my mother.”
He said the officer he spoke to agreed that police must look into his claims. He added: “They will now have to investigate this properly.”
Richard John Bingham, Lord Lucan who mysteriously disappeared after the murder of his children's nanny Sandra Rivett, at the family's Belgravia home in 1974. He has never been seen since (Image: Camera Press)
Sandra Rivett is thought to have been killed by Lord Lucan (Image: Express Newspapers)
The building contractor and father-of-two claims Lucan based himself in Perth on arrival in Australia, but moved to another part of the country after a series of disagreements with pals.
He now has a new group of friends. Two are young Englishmen, and another is an Australian he first met on a Buddhist retreat 11 years ago. They all take part in daily meditation sessions.
The mystery man needs a part-time carer, and often sits on the verandah listening to trains in the distance. The friends confirmed to the Daily Mirror that an elderly Englishman who looks like Lucan lives at the house.
Lord “Lucky” Lucan, who would have turned 85 last month, disappeared after the murder of Miss Rivett at the family’s exclusive mews home in Belgravia, Central London, on November 7, 1974.
Lord Lucan was a member of the Clermont Set, a group of powerful, wealthy people including millionaire businessmen Sir James Goldsmith and John Aspinall. There have been sightings in South Africa, the Maldives, India and even India. But, despite extensive police inquiries, he has never been found.
Mr Berriman’s quest began when he discovered 12 years ago that he was Sandra Rivett’s secret son, who had been adopted shortly after birth.
When Lucan was formally declared dead by the High Court on February 3, 2016, he received a detailed tip by letter that Lucan was in fact alive.
He then decided to spend £30,000 of his own cash on a private investigation. As he dug deeper, he claimed evidence showed that Lucan had indeed escaped British justice.
Mr Berriman, who lives with partner Kim in Milland, West Sussex, said: “He has been alive all this time. Lying about who he is. Lying about it to his new friends.
“They are fully aware he is a mystery elderly Englishman and not who he is claiming to be.
“The people he lives with know he has a mystery past and what he tells them does not add up. They have had their suspicions for many years.
“Lucan is a deceitful conman and he is the man who murdered my mother.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind he escaped that night, with the help of friends who helped him get across the Channel and get a new passport, and incredibly he is still alive.
“From my own inquiries he’s had at least six different identities."
Lord Lucan with his wife Veronica, Lady Lucan (Image: Universal Pictorial Press)
46 Lower Belgrave Street, central London (Image: PA)
The earldom of Lucan was created back in 1795 during the reign of King George III.
The Binghams are an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family. Among them were George Bingham, the 3rd Earl of Lucan, who is best remembered for his controversial role in the Crimean War, when he lead the cavalry division involved in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade.
Lord Lucan: Met Police cold case team to probe sensational claims he is alive
EXCLUSIVE: Scotland Yard's cold case team have contacted Neil Berriman, the son of nanny Sandra Rivett, murdered by Lord Lucan in 1974, after he told the Mirror the fugitive is alive and living in Australia
Scotland Yard said: “The inquiry into the death of Sandra Rivett remains open, as is the case with all unsolved murders.
“It has never been closed. Any significant new information will be considered.”