Allan Chappelow

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name = Allan Chappelow


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birth_date = 20 August 1919
birth_place = Copenhagen, Denmark
death_date = between 8 May and 14 June 2006.
death_place = Hampstead, London
death_cause = suspected murder
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known_for = Works on George Bernard Shaw
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occupation = Writer and photographer
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Allan Gordon Chappelow FRSA (August 20, 1919-June 2006) was an award winning writer and photographer living in Hampstead. He was the author of books on George Bernard Shaw, and specialized in portraits of writers and musicians. A recluse and (according to media reports) a millionaire, he was found murdered in his house in Downshire Hill after a sum of money was discovered to have gone missing from his bank account. In October 2006 a British citizen of Chinese birth, Wang Yam, a financial trader also resident in Hampstead, was arrested in Switzerland and charged with the murder.cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2251170,00.html | title= "Millionaire writer 'murdered by identity thief' "| date=2008-02-02 | accessdate=2008-02-05] The trial was set for January 2008.

Chappelow moved with his family to Hampstead at the age of 14, to the house in which he lived for the rest of his life except for his school and student years. He was educated at Oundle School near Peterborough, then went on to study moral sciences at Trinity College Cambridge between 1946 and 1948. In the 1950s he worked as a photographer for the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. Afterwards he became a freelance photographer and writer. [cite web | title="Author found dead in £2.5m home after thieves emptied his account." | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=390908&in_page_id=1770 | date=2006-06-16 | accessdate=2008-01-29 ]

As a photographer, Chappelow specialized in portraits of leading literary and theatrical figures and musicians. In 1950 he visited George Bernard Shaw at Ayot St. Lawrence and took the last known photographs of the playwright. Chappelow's books included "Russian Holiday" (London, George Harrap, 1955) - he was a member of the first party of 'ordinary tourists' to be allowed to visit the U.S.S.R. after the Second World War. His principal works on Shaw are "Shaw the Villager and Human Being - a Biographical symposium", with a preface by Dame Sybil Thorndike (1962), and "Shaw - the 'Chucker-Out"' (1969, ISBN 0404083595).

Legal and 'security' issues Anchor|Wang Yam

In December 2007 the Crown Prosecution Service indicated it would ask for Wang's trial for murder, burglary and deception to be held 'in camera'. This would make it the first UK murder trial ever heard behind closed doors without access by press or public. A Public Interest Immunity (PII) certificate was sought by the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith; it was reported by the Times on 13 December 2007 that the grounds were 'on the basis of protecting national security interests and to protect the identity of informants'. On January 14, 2008 the trial judge granted this unprecedented 'gagging order' and the trial was scheduled to start on 28 January. A further order was made under the Contempt of Court Act 1981 prohibiting the press from any speculation as to the reasons for parts of the trial being held in private. [cite web | title="Secrecy ordered for parts of murder trial" | url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3198520.ece | date=2008-01-16 | accessdate=2008-01-29 ]

In the Court of Appeal on January 28, the 'gagging order' was upheld, with the Lord Chief Justice insisting that a fair trial will be possible even if some or all of it is held 'in camera'. [cite web |title="Bid for open murder trial fails" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7213797.stm | date=2008-01-28 | accessdate=2008-01-29 ] [ [http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2008/269.html "Regina v. Wang Yam",] [2008] EWCA Crim. 269, United Kingdom Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, January 28, 2008]

However, there has been coverage of the actual criminal trial which opened on Monday February 4 as scheduled. The coverage has included details of both the victim and of the defendant in the media and there has been little or no discussion of the fact that the proceedings will at least in part be held in camera. There is no evidence that the delay in publishing the judgment is deliberate or is the result of another gagging order which the media has been instructed not to report.

On March 28, the jury retired to consider its verdict. [cite news| title=" Author murder verdict considered" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7318456.stm | date=2008-03-28 | accessdate=2008-03-29] On March 31 Yam was found guilty of stealing £20,000 by deception, and on April 1 also found guilty of handling stolen goods. The jury was discharged after failing to reach verdicts on the charges of burglary and murder. [cite news | title ="Jury discharged in trial of man for murder of reclusive writer" | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/apr/01/ukcrime.china | date=2008-04-01 | accessdate=2008-04-02 ] A retrial of Yam is expected. [cite news | title=" Jury discharged in author case" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7324276.stm | date=2008-04-01 | accessdate=2008-04-02 ]

One of the theories put forward, and confirmed by "sources close to the investigation" is that Wang was a "low-level informant" for the security services and planned to rely on this as part of his defence at trial. [cite web | title="MI5 wants millionaire's murder trial to be held in secret amid claims defendant worked for them" | url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23427506-details/MI5+wants+millionaire's+murder+trial+to+be+held+in+secret+amid+claims+defendant+worked+for+them/article.do | date=2007-12-14 | accessdate=2008-02-05 ] Other theories suggest that the evidence presented by the crown risked revealing the methods and capabilities of the security services.

Wang declared bankruptcy in September 2004, and was believed to be having financial difficulties, he had been due to be evicted from his house for rent arrears in June 2006.Wang was a student leader in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, and had fled China for Hong Kong in 1992. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2252947,00.html Murder accused 'had fled China witch-hunt' | UK news | The Guardian ] ]

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