Fifty years after his conviction for the infamous One Armed Bandit murder, Dennis Stafford says he is too old to continue fighting to clear his name. Lizzie Anderson speaks to the self-professed ‘gentleman gangster’ about his troubled past and future plans

“I WASN'T even supposed to be going out that night,” says Dennis Scott, formerly known as Dennis Stafford and one of two men convicted of murdering fruit machine cash collector Angus Sibbet on January 4, 1967.

“We’d just got back from Majorca and I was at the flat I was sharing with the singer Selina Jones. I’d planned to watch television but in those days there were only two programmes on and one of them was wrestling, which I’ve never liked.”

Scott goes on to explain how Michael Luvaglio, the second man convicted of the murder, had been going to see Sibbet “his best friend from London” that night but was taking a car he was unfamiliar with, as his automatic was in the garage.

“Michael had just passed his test but in an automatic so Selina suggested I go with him to make sure he was okay. Otherwise I’d have never gone out.”

Scott is talking about the night of the killing, which shook Tyneside and inspired the cult film Get Carter starring Michael Caine. The case, dubbed the One Armed Bandit Murder, has intrigued people ever since, not least because Luvaglio and Scott, or Stafford as he was known then, maintain their innocence to this day.

Sibbet’s bullet-ridden body was discovered in his Jaguar Mark 10 under Pesspool Bridge in South Hetton, County Durham, at 5.15am. This was five hours after he was due to meet his business associates, Stafford and Luvaglio, at the Birdcage club in Newcastle.

According to the police, his murder was a gangland killing carried out by Luvaglio and Stafford because Sibbet was skimming the takings.

The pair were sentenced to life in prison later that year but were released on licence in 1979, after two failed appeals in prison. They continued their quest in the decades that followed, but both a review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission and an appeal to the House of Lords were unsuccessful.

But many people believe the men or at least think the prosecution’s case was flawed. This is mainly owing to doubts surrounding the time of death and the fact Scott and Luvaglio had alibis for all but a 45-minute window. There was also a lack of forensic evidence linking the pair to the murder along with conflicting evidence at the scene, including blood that did not belong to the convicted men or Sibbet. In recent years, modern photographic analysis and unused witness statements have tested the conviction further.

Sitting in his home at Stanhope Castle in Weardale, County Durham, Scott makes no secret of his criminal past but insists he did not murder Sibbet.

“I’ve fighting my case for many years now,” says Scott. “If it went in front of a jury now it would be thrown out - no question about it.

“My name came into it because I’d embarrassed the police by escaping from prison. Michael was dragged into it because of my criminal record. He is a lovely man and would never hurt anyone.”

In his 2007 autobiography, Fun-Loving Criminal: The Autobiography of a Gentleman Gangster, London-born Scott sheds further light on his brushes with the law.

The blurb describes him as a “chameleon, fugitive, playboy, criminal, political prisoner, con man and comedian.” It promises an honest account of his “daring prison escapes,” living on the run in the Caribbean and South Africa and the “full story on the miscarriage of justice surrounding the One-Armed Bandit Murder.”

Now in his eighties, Scott has lost none of the charisma that earned him the nickname the “playboy burglar.” However, he admits he is tired of fighting, and an ongoing dispute with a former business associate has helped to make up his mind. Scott made a report of harassment to Durham Police and claims the force failed to act. He has complained to its Professional Standards department and believes the matter remains unresolved.

Last month, Scott put his four-bedroom maisonette on the market and announced plans to move abroad.

“I’m too old to keep on fighting now,” he says. “I want to move to a Buddhist country. The Buddhists are such nice, gentle people. I’m going to pack a bag, sit back and relax in the sun. I want to forget all about Durham Police.”

A Durham Police spokeswoman confirmed a complaint had been received from Scott, adding: “It was dealt with appropriately. There are no outstanding complaints.”

She added: “Since Dennis Stafford’s conviction in 1967 for the murder of Angus Sibbet the case has been through two appeals and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, all of which have upheld the prosecution. Durham Constabulary stands by the investigation conducted and resulting conviction.”