'Sandra Rivett was much more than Lord Lucan's victim - she can't be overlooked'

It has been 50 years since 1 of the astir infamous murders successful British History.

On the nighttime of November 7, 1974, Lord Lucan, past 39, killed his children's nanny Sandra Rivett aft mistaking her for his estranged wife, Veronica.

A caller three-part BBC Two bid which starts Wednesday, November 6, explores what seems to beryllium Lord Lucan's apt flight from his homeland to a beingness of exile successful Africa

The aristocrat has been 1 of Britain’s astir infamous murderers for 50 years but his victim, nanny Sandra Rivett, has often been overlooked by history.

Earlier this year, caller Amazon Prime documentary, The Murder of Sandra Rivett was added to the streaming platform, yet giving a dependable to Sandra.

Her sister Charmaine told The Mirror that it was "the archetypal clip successful astir 50 years that anyone other has cared astir Sandra". Charmaine added: “Recognising her arsenic a person, not conscionable a victim, has fixed maine my sister back.”

Lord Lucan, past 39, killed 29-year-old Sandra connected the nighttime of November 7, 1974, bludgeoning her with a pb tube aft mistaking her for his estranged woman Veronica. Lord and Lady Lucan had argued implicit wealth and custody of their children, Frances, George and Camilla. After a combat with Veronica, who came to the basement to spot what was delaying Sandra, Lucan fled and has been missing ever since.

With the absorption connected the elusive aristocrat, the world forgot the beloved sister, girl and parent near successful the basement successful London’s swish Belgravia. Charmaine told The Mirror: “Losing my large sister has haunted maine for years. I inactive miss her. She was a fantastic sister. She enjoyed beingness and was kind, caring, and supportive to america all.”

Ironically fixed what happened to her sister, Charmaine, who wants to withhold her surname, said: “Sandra loved her occupation and the Lucan children. Sandra was similar Mum, fun-loving, with a large consciousness of humour. People were drawn to her, and she had tons of friends.”

Born connected September 16, 1945, the 3rd kid of Albert and Eunice Hensby, Sandra spent the archetypal decennary of her beingness successful Australia earlier coming implicit to the UK, wherever her household settled successful South London. At the property of 17 she fell successful emotion with a builder and they got engaged. However, her fiance got acold feet and called disconnected the engagement.

Heartbroken Sandra was large astatine the clip but her parents stepped successful and brought up her lad arsenic their own. Sandra moved distant from London to unrecorded successful Portsmouth, Hants. She stayed successful the seaside metropolis with her older sister Theresa, aft falling large again astatine the property of 21. This clip she gave the kid up for adoption.

A missive to the adoptive parents said: “The baby’s begetter is simply a antheral she has known for rather a agelong time. Unfortunately, portion his woman spent a play successful hospital, she visited his location connected a fig of occasions to assistance successful the house.” The missive added, bluntly and without further mentation of the relationship: “Intercourse occurred and she became pregnant. She did not privation to interruption his matrimony truthful came distant from the area.” The baby, Neil, was adopted by Audrey and Ivan Berriman.

As an adult, Neil discovered who his commencement parent was and vowed to bring Lucan to justice.

Sandra went connected to wed Roger Rivett successful the anticipation of uncovering her blessed ever after. But the matrimony broke down successful 1974 and that fateful twelvemonth she returned to London. After signing up with a home agency, she got a occupation arsenic a nanny to the Lucan children – Lady Frances, 10, Lord George Bingham, seven, and four-year-old Lady Camilla.

Sandra had walked consecutive into the crossfire of a toxic narration – and 10 weeks aboriginal she was dead. The matrimony of Veronica Duncan and John Bingham was a lucifer made successful hell. She battled intelligence wellness struggles and helium was a gambling addict, racking up debts astatine the tables of London’s Mayfair casinos. The aged Etonian was unsympathetic to his wife’s affectional issues, arsenic reflected successful a missive she wrote to a household person during the marriage. She described her husband’s cruelty. There were besides accusations of abuse.

Pierrette Goletto, a Lucan nanny earlier Sandra, said she dancing astir with a vessel of vodka successful her hand, adding: “When Lord Lucan visited I could perceive them arguing astir money, gambling and the children.”

But Pierette who is speaking publically for the archetypal clip - remembers Lucan arsenic an affectionate begetter with nary motion of a convulsive streak. The Lucans separated successful 1973, and helium rented a level nearby. He wanted custody of the children and to beryllium Veronica was an unfit mother, resorting to stalking to bash so. A bitter and costly tribunal conflict ensued, which Lucan lost.

Robert Strange, a newsman who covered Sandra’s execution reveals that Veronica had made nationalist lurid details of their enactment life: “ She said Lord Lucan made her formal successful a rubber workout suit truthful that she was blistery and sweaty erstwhile they went to bed. Lucan attended the proceeding with his parent Kaitlin Dowager Countess Lucan. He had been truthful embarrassed that helium hadn’t been capable to speech to his parent for weeks afterwards. He didn’t expect that to ever travel out. I personally deliberation that was the infinitesimal erstwhile Lord Lucan decided his woman had to die.”

Amid this affectional turmoil, Veronica and Sandra deed it off. Veronica warmed to her - thing she had ne'er done with erstwhile nannies. And the children adored Sandra.

In her play calls to her mum, Sandra said she was happy. She had travel to attraction for her boss, adjacent calling to cheque successful connected her connected days off. Historian Tessa Dunlop says: “Veronica felt capable to stock her vulnerability with Sandra. There was a kinship.” But Sandra’s beingness was doomed.

After calling her fellow John Hankins astatine astir 8pm connected the past evening of her life, Sandra enactment Camilla and George to furniture earlier asking Veronica if she would similar a cupful of beverage and going downstairs to marque one. She did not cognize Lucan was lurking successful the acheronian basement room with murderous intent. After the sidesplitting and the combat with Veronica, Lucan drove to the location of immoderate friends successful East Sussex. He wrote a missive claiming helium had seen an intruder struggling with his woman – but fewer uncertainty that this was a lie. He has not been seen since and successful 2016 his decease certificate was issued. And Sandra Rivett was not the lone forgotten unfortunate of the grisly episode.

Lady Lucan, Veronica, mislaid custody of her children to Lucan’s aristocratic relatives the Shand Kydds. When she died successful 2017 aged 80, having taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, she had not spoken to her sister oregon children since the 1980s. She said successful her past ever interview: “I americium profoundly bittersweet that my matrimony caused Sandra Rivett to die. I americium precise atrocious astir that. But I cannot change it, but not to hide astir her – and I don’t hide astir her. "

The Murder of Sandra Rivett produced by Woodcut Media is disposable connected Amazon Prime Video

Lucan. The three-part bid premieres connected BBC Two connected November 6, 2024. It is disposable to ticker connected BBC iPlayer.