Gosling spared jail over ‘mercy killing’ lies

Mr Gosling, 71, was given a 90-day suspended prison sentence at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to wasting police time.

He admitted he had not killed his lover, saying on his way into court this morning: “I was not even in the country when he died, but I would have done it. We had a pact.”

The veteran broadcaster and gay rights campaigner recorded a programme for the BBC on death and dying shown in February, in which he claimed to have smothered a friend with a pillow as he lay dying in hospital.

Today he denied his motives were attention-seeking, telling the court: “I know what people have said, that I did it to sell a book.

I just want to say, very clearly and very strongly, sorry to my lover’s family and for the distress I have caused them and sorry that apparently I have wasted police time. Ray Gosling

“I did it because I felt for the people I had talked to who had similar pacts, some fulfilled and some perhaps unfulfilled.”

Mr Gosling, an award-winning presenter of television and radio shows, made his false confession on a BBC East Midlands Inside Out programme, and then repeated it in news interviews the next day – which prompted his arrest on suspicion of murder.

He told the court: “I just want to say, very clearly and very strongly, sorry to my lover’s family and for the distress I have caused them and sorry that apparently I have wasted police time.”

'One of the most bizarre interviews I've ever had' writes Darshna Soni
Most people charged with a crime usually refuse to give any comment to journalists on their way into court. In fact, we're used to people trying to avoid us as they run in, writes Midlands correspondent Darshna Soni.
But, this morning, Ray Gosling strolled over to our cameras and said a cheery Hello.
"Hello Mr Gosling," I replied. And the presenter then launched into one of the most bizarre interviews I've ever had.
"Don't call me Mr Gosling, my name is Ray" he snapped. He seemed to get very angry, but then, just as quickly, told me he was my "comrade." He said "I'm a story teller, just like you...But I embroidered one stitch too far, and I'm sorry."
"So you admit it was all just a story then?" I asked.
He suddenly was very angry, "No I did not!"
Mr Gosling then gave me a long, rambling statement. Sometimes he shouted, sometimes he laughed, sometimes he gave me compliments. He appeared very confused.
In court, his solicitor said Mr Gosling had suffered mentally and physically since his false confession and that he had increasingly been relying on drink. It was obvious he was, "fantasist who enjoyed the limelight, but who flew too close to the sun."
During my interview with him, in just a few short minutes, he changed his story several times and was very emotional - raising the question, should he ever have been allowed to make his claims on air?

The brother of Mr Gosling’s former lover told the police: “I knew the circumstances of my brother’s death and what Ray Gosling was saying did not bear any resemblance to what I knew.

“‘I am really angry with Ray Gosling. I think he is a fantasist, telling lies about the death of my brother for reasons best known to himself.”

Following his arrest, Mr Gosling was interviewed five times over two days, repeating the claims and giving details of the alleged mercy killing.

But in the fourth interview, after an overnight stay in a police cell, Mr Gosling admitted he had not been present at the death and had made up the story about putting a pillow over the man’s face.

He told police: “I must’ve been thinking away from the media pressure that I’ve previously had.

“And I am not sure I put the pillow on his head and ended his life. I think I might’ve got carried away by hearing other people’s stories of how they were going to or had done their partners in.

“Everything else was true. He was my lover, he had Aids, he was dying. The pillow bit, I might’ve got carried away. We did have an agreement, whether I’d have done it or not I don’t know.

“But I don’t think I did…and I don’t want to waste police time, your time, and put people to unnecessary work.”

Prosecutor Simon Clements said Mr Gosling finally named the man in the fifth interview and gave details.
A lengthy police investigation ensued, involving 32 members of police and support staff, which eventually found Mr Gosling had not killed anyone.

He told the court the probe involved taking statements from the dead man’s family, causing them huge distress because of the “tissue of lies”.

The court heard that investigations found the man did not die in pain and Gosling was not with him when he died.

Mr Clements said Mr Gosling had discussed his confession with those involved in making the Inside Out programme over a “boozy lunch” in October 2009 and on February 11 – just days before it was aired – the series producer checked Gosling was happy for it to be included.

“It is estimated that the total number of police staff hours spent investigating Ray Gosling’s false report in excess of 1,800,” Mr Clements said.

“This false report was particularly serious and malicious and has caused substantial distress… by raking up hugely sensitive matters that happened over 15 years ago.”

Mr Clements told the court: “Finally the police investigation exposed Ray Gosling for what he truly is.

“He did not do this for the worthy and principled reasons he initially claimed. He put himself forward on national television as someone empathising with people facing the death of a loved relative: he put himself forward as a man of the people.

“He told the police that many people had come forward and thanked him for what he had done.

“They will now come to realise that the man they thought was a worthy and principled journalist is, in fact, a sheer liar and a fantasist.”