Lord Lucan stayed with us in the Philippines TEN YEARS after he vanished and I have the irrefutable proof: Wife of British peer breaks her silence in world-first interview

In a mansion precocious up successful the Alabang Hills – the ‘Beverly Hills’ of the Philippines wherever tycoons, celebrities, diplomats and the unusual transgression baron hitch shoulders – a raucous evening was drafting to a close.

The 3 British peers contiguous had enjoyed a convivial reunion with a splendid gourmet meal washed down by Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lafite Rothschild arsenic they reminisced astir their glory days backmost successful London.

Later, implicit glasses of the finest brandy, they played Trivial Pursuit successful a country overlooking the pool.

The nationalist school-educated aristocrats were bonded by their emotion of the bully things successful beingness and arsenic erstwhile members of the subject and British society, the trio had a shared – immoderate mightiness accidental warped – mentation of the meaning of ‘honour’.

They knew they were successful harmless company, that they could spot each different to beryllium discreet astatine each times.

But determination was different idiosyncratic contiguous that evening successful the mid-Eighties who was not bound by the omerta of the Old Boy network. Editha, a young Filipina woman, was the 4th woman of the host, the infamous 3rd Baron (Tony) Moynihan of Leeds – aka ‘Baron Scoundrel’ – fugitive, suspected fraudster, brothel keeper and alleged murderer and enactment and drugs trafficker.

She knew 1 of the guests to beryllium the 6th Marquess of Headfort, Michael Taylour, different Manila-based aristocrat with a shady past. But she had met the 3rd adjacent – a tall, softly spoken, dashing antheral with impeccable manners – lone hours before.

Later, successful a infinitesimal she has ne'er forgotten, her hubby Tony would uncover the individuality of the enigma guest. It was, helium told her, Lord Lucan – the execution fishy who had disappeared 10 years earlier aft sidesplitting his children’s nanny successful the basement of their Belgravia home.

Many believed that the 39-year-old Old Etonian had jumped to his decease from a ferry successful the Channel aft bludgeoning Sandra Rivett to decease with a portion of pb tube and attempting to execution his estranged woman Veronica connected the evening of November 7, 1974.

His blood-smeared Ford Corsair was recovered abandoned successful the larboard of Newhaven connected the Sussex coast, a fewer days later.

But his assemblage was ne'er recovered and implicit the years a fig of knowledgeable ex-Met officers, including the apical detective who carried retired an exhaustive reappraisal of the Lucan lawsuit successful 2004, person concluded that Lord Lucan was spirited retired of the state by his well-connected and affluent friends – the alleged ‘Clermont Set’, named aft the Mayfair gambling nine they frequented – to commencement a caller beingness abroad.

Since then, determination person been dozens of alleged sightings, bizarre theories and chaotic reports relating to his fate. Much of the speculation arsenic to his whereabouts has centred connected Africa, but determination person been claims helium was fed to tigers, ended up arsenic a hippy successful Goa oregon lived arsenic a Buddhist successful Australia.

But today, ‘Baron Scoundrel’s’ widow Editha, Lady Moynihan, present successful her aboriginal 60s and a palmy businesswoman based successful Manila, breaks her agelong soundlessness to sensationally assertion that she and her hubby entertained the 7th Earl of Lucan, Richard John Bingham, astatine their location 1 nighttime successful 1984/85 – a decennary after helium had vanished.

In doing so, she is the archetypal idiosyncratic to springiness a credible relationship of gathering the rogue adjacent who was declared dormant successful 1999. In a bid of revelations that could rewrite the past publication connected an enduring crime mystery, Editha says Lucan came to the Philippines, from Thailand, to prime up a mendacious passport that had been arranged for him by her hubby Tony Moynihan.

Moynihan utilized the services of a corrupt nine lawyer based successful London to make bogus mendacious question documents for himself and transgression associates (including the notorious British drugs baron, Howard ‘Mr Nice’ Marks).

She describes Lucan arsenic having a distinctive fake mole connected his near feature which she would larn he’d acquired successful Thailand arsenic portion of his ‘disguise’. His hairsbreadth was nary longer pitchy achromatic arsenic it appeared successful paper images but brackish and capsicum grey. He had shaved disconnected his luxuriant moustache and enactment connected weight.

Editha is successful nary uncertainty it was Lord Lucan, 1 of respective friends of her hubby who passed done Manila successful the 1980s erstwhile the metropolis was a haven for those connected the tally from the authorities. And she claims she has carnal grounds – a fastener of his hairsbreadth – to beryllium it.

Lucan was introduced to Editha arsenic ‘Richard’ (his archetypal name, though helium was known to friends successful London by his mediate sanction John) and helium stayed with them for 2 days.

Editha was joined to Tony Moynihan for astir of the 1980s and met galore of his interior circle. The mates had nary secrets, she said, and insists her husband, who died aged 55 successful 1991, had nary crushed to mislead her astir Lucan’s identity.

‘Why would Tony prevarication to me…. And wherefore would Michael archer maine [it was Lucan] too? What is determination to gain, lying to me?’ said Editha, who did not question outgo for this interview.

When I showed Editha a representation of Lucan taken years earlier helium disappeared, she studied it closely, earlier confirming that – contempt the ageing process and that ‘fake’ mole – it was the antheral she met.

‘He was a spot bigger than that, but inactive precise pleasant, precise cleanable looking, and helium was precise good dressed. I was impressed with the mode helium was carrying his clothes, you know, due to the fact that helium was a gangly man.’

The Mail has spent immoderate months investigating her intriguing claims, which are supported by compelling circumstantial grounds astir her precocious husband’s connections to Lucan and his ellipse of affluent gamblers successful London.

Immaculately dressed, supremely composed and with impeccable English, Editha has an awesome representation for names and item arsenic she gives a vivid relationship of gathering with Lucan.

It will, she tells me, beryllium a section successful the memoir she is penning aided by letters, diaries, and mementoes from the 1980s. These see a idiosyncratic ‘gift’ from Lucan and, astonishingly, that carnal impervious of his identity.

Editha Ruben was conscionable 18 and inactive astatine schoolhouse erstwhile she met Antony Moynihan. She was struggling to flight from a pugnacious territory of Manila wherever she grew up by moving arsenic a manner model.

Then aged 44, Moynihan was Britain’s astir outrageous peer, a banjo and bongo-playing self-publicist whose debauched manner had earned him a big of derogatory nicknames.

By contrast, his half-brother Colin was an up-and-coming Tory politician, who would aboriginal go Sports Minister nether Margaret Thatcher and yet the 4th Baron Moynihan.

Married 3 times, archetypal to an actress, past to 2 belly-dancers, Tony Moynihan had 4 daughters and had been surviving successful enforced exile successful the Philippines since fleeing an apprehension warrant issued by magistrates successful 1970 for a bid of fraud offences.

He had, implicit the years, frittered distant overmuch of his humble luck successful the hedonist hotspots of the Far East and was present moving ‘a massage parlour’ from the MacArthur Hotel successful a seedy territory of the Philippine superior to support him successful the benignant which helium boasted ‘was my God-given birthright’.

Moynihan archetypal spotted Editha modelling astatine a nine manner amusement and wooed her relentlessly, she recalls. ‘Every morning, Tony’s operator would travel circular to my location with my breakfast, ham, fruits, acceptable to instrumentality maine to school. Then successful the afternoon, he’d nonstop his operator to prime maine up and driblet maine disconnected astatine work, and astatine nighttime helium would telephone and marque definite that I had my dinner, and astatine the weekend, helium was astatine my location with each sorts of goodies for maine to eat.’

She says helium was branded a ‘cradle snatcher’ when, aft a little courtship, they sealed their national astatine Ellinwood Protestant Church successful Manila.

There followed, she says, a play of happiness successful which her ‘father figure’ hubby introduced her to his bizarre societal ellipse of politicians, showbusiness figures, elder constabulary officers and visiting criminals.

It was astatine the MacArthur Hotel that she says she archetypal acceptable eyes connected Lord Lucan – though she did not larn who helium was until aboriginal that night.

She said Moynihan had told her that ‘a precise peculiar idiosyncratic is coming over’.

‘We were astatine the edifice astatine that time, and helium walked in. I was rather amazed due to the fact that …. the mode helium was dressed and the mode helium spoke, it was precise overmuch similar Tony, and his mole present [was] rather big, actually. Looking astatine that mole, you forgot the full face, you conscionable benignant of concentrated looking connected this mole.’

Editha says her hubby and Lucan, who’d flown successful from Thailand that day, ‘hugged each different similar long-lost friends’, arsenic did ‘the aged chap’ Michael [Lord Headfort].

‘They benignant of each knew each other,’ she said. ‘Tony and Michael were rather close.’ Indeed, some had been pupils astatine Stowe.

‘There were parties connected Michael’s Island successful Lubang [south-west of Manila], determination were parties successful our location oregon astatine the yacht club, due to the fact that Michael utilized to ain a beauteous yacht,’ Editha continued.

The radical – which besides included a showbiz impresario called Keith Snell – were driven from the edifice to Moynihan’s mansion wherever helium and Editha lived, an eight-bedroom erstwhile ambassadorial location successful the Alabang Hills. Dinner was prepared by ‘Baron Scoundrel’ himself – an accomplished navigator and subordinate of the Philippine Food And Wine Society.

‘Whilst Tony was cooking, they were each lasting wrong the kitchen. I didn’t spell in, it was Michael, Keith, and “Richard”,’ Editha said.

Then her English stepfather happened to phone.

‘I said to my him: “Look we’re having a small enactment astatine home, conscionable a mates of radical and Tony has introduced america to this person, for the archetypal clip ever, helium looks a batch similar Tony”.

‘I said: “It’s Michael and Richard….My stepfather knew Michael, I’d introduced them [before]. Anyway, I was talking [then] to my parent and she said [about the enigma guest] “What’s his name, does helium person a crush connected you?” I said his sanction is Richard Bingham and my stepfather … the code successful his dependable changed aft that and helium said that he’s a murderer.

‘So, that nighttime erstwhile I went to bed, I asked Tony [about Richard’s identity] “because my stepfather said that he’s a murderer”. He said: “Look, determination is nary impervious to that, unless the antheral admits that he’s really done it, determination is nary proof”.’

It was then, she says, that Moynihan confirmed that Richard was successful information the missing Lord Lucan.

‘He said: “Yes, actually, he’s Lord Lucan… don’t telephone him Lord Lucan.” I said OK, truthful I ne'er did telephone him Lord Lucan.’

Editha says that a courier had picked up a fake British passport for Lucan, organised by her husband, from London and returned with it to the Philippines for collection.

‘Richard astatine that clip was surviving successful Thailand and we were operating a concern [massage parlour] successful Thailand excessively astatine that time, and Tony was ever successful Thailand,’ Edith added.

She said that Lucan gave her a acquisition that nighttime – a necklace with a precious chromatic from Thailand – and signed a paper arsenic a convey you for her hospitality. She inactive has it, she tells me, earlier continuing with the story.

‘And past aft that, determination was thing funny, due to the fact that I deliberation they were already smashed by that time. He [Lucan] said to me: “You know, 1 day, Lady Moynihan, this is going to beryllium of usage for you”. I didn’t cognize what [he] meant by that, but the feeling is I was a baby, I was a tiny small miss who took attraction of them.

‘Tony said that [me] being the youngest, I’ll beryllium the 1 who’s going to request these things that were given, the necklace and the card….’

Editha besides claims that Lucan chopped disconnected a fastener of his hairsbreadth for her to keep, and that her hubby told her to 1 time archer Scotland Yard that this is ‘not a merchandise of our imagination, it’s a merchandise of their ain incompetence’.

Moynihan and Lucan, who had some served successful the Coldstream Guards, shared an aggravated dislike of the constabulary and the proposition that they mightiness privation to humiliate detectives from beyond the sedate is not implausible.

Explaining her husband’s loyalty to his guest, Editha said that Moynihan often spoken astir the value of the aged boys’ schoolhouse oregon aged boys’ something, [it was] conscionable the terminology Tony used, and [his friend] Michael did too’.

It is worthy noting present that Lucan’s large person John Aspinall, proprietor of the Clermont gambling club, said successful the aftermath of the Sandra Rivett execution that the fugitive earl ‘could telephone connected much friends than anyone other helium knows’, which mightiness explicate wherefore helium could trust connected a chap adjacent to supply him with a mendacious passport – albeit astatine a cost.

Moynihan had started selling mendacious British and Irish passports for upwards of £3,000 each, utilizing idiosyncratic from his interior ellipse arsenic a courier to cod them from London.

Editha said that the London lawyer who oversaw the accumulation of passports, Jimmy Newton, who died successful London successful 2009, would get details of a precise young kid who died without a passport being issued and, mirroring the plotline successful the 1970s thriller The Day Of The Jackal, past get a transcript of commencement certificate to use for a fake question document.

In narration to Lucan, she said: ‘He didn’t look broke. He had the wealth to walk for a caller passport.’

The antheral she is convinced was Lord Lucan near the Philippines aft 2 days, she assumes to instrumentality to Thailand, and she ne'er saw him again.

By the precocious 1980s, her matrimony to Moynihan was successful occupation aft the serial philanderer resumed his aged ways and they had a disagreement implicit the merchantability of the MacArthur Hotel, which she’d hoped to physique into a palmy business. She near him but, a fewer weeks later, agreed to conscionable him successful a metropolis plaza. ‘Tony knelt successful beforehand of me, begging maine to travel back, with each the waiters watching,’ she said.

Despite the sour extremity to their relationship, Editha – who has been interviewed for a caller two-part BBC documentary connected the cause trader Howard Marks present disposable successful iPlayer - defends overmuch of her precocious husband’s conduct.

She powerfully refutes helium dealt successful drugs, though helium surely became adjacent to Marks earlier turning connected him successful a plea woody with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration successful 1988.

‘If determination is specified a happening arsenic blameworthy by association, past helium astir apt is blameworthy of that,’ she said. ‘[Tony] was associated with radical that were doing that business.

‘Murderer? The antheral couldn’t adjacent termination a fly. It’s not his mindset. Tony [was] not that benignant of a person. Brothel owner? He indispensable beryllium rather blameworthy of that, I would say.’

None of the others whom she says were contiguous astatine the Manila mansion that nighttime successful the 1980s are inactive live and immoderate radical will, nary doubt, question wherefore she has waited 40 years to archer her story.

As for the paper signed by Lucan and his fastener of hair, Editha says she inactive has them successful a container with different mementoes relating to her husband, but circumstances prevented her showing them to us.

However, we discussed the anticipation of the hairsbreadth being subjected to DNA testing. Scotland Yard doesn’t person Lucan’s DNA, sources person told us, truthful immoderate tests connected a hairsbreadth illustration would person to beryllium compared with a illustration from a Lucan household member.

Editha's grounds prompts myriad questions, including the relation of the alleged ‘Clermont Set’ of wealthy, nine friends who might, allegedly, person facilitated Lucan’s ‘escape’ from the UK connected the nighttime of the murder; however Lucan mightiness person been backing his beingness and wherever precisely helium went aft allegedly visiting the Philippines. If inactive alive, Lucan would beryllium 89 now.

I person spent 3 decades covering the Lucan communicative for the Mail, including debunking respective expected sightings oregon mendacious leads, and – much precocious – obtained a never-before-seen transcript of the archetypal Scotland Yard study connected the Crown’s lawsuit against the adjacent – published successful the Mail successful May this twelvemonth – which was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions successful 1975.

But I judge determination is thing compelling astir Editha’s relationship of her brushwood with Lucan. She is simply a credible witnesser successful a lawsuit which has been unthinkable from time 1 – and which 50 years connected inactive captivates the world.

Listen to 2 real-life, eminent barristers reason the lawsuit for and against Lucan successful the Mail’s The Trial of Lord Lucan, disposable wherever you get your podcasts now.