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4 unusual facts about John McVicar


John McVicar

In 1998 he lost a libel action brought by sprinter Linford Christie over his claim that Christie was a "steroid athlete".

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In 2002, McVicar published a book about the Jill Dando murder, Dead on Time, in which he paints the convicted killer Barry George as a sophisticated liar, trying to appear too stupid to carry out a difficult mission.

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After his release from prison he studied for a postgraduate degree at the University of Leicester.

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He wrote his autobiography, McVicar by Himself, and scripted the 1980 biographical film McVicar, which starred The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey in the title role and also co-stars Adam Faith.


Ron Roddan

Speaking in a High Court libel hearing in 1998, Roddan told the jury that a magazine article by John McVicar alleging Linford Christie took drugs to get to the top was a "fairy story", describing a suggestion that the Olympic gold medallist's impressive physique may have been due to taking steroids or other performance-enhancing banned substances as "ridiculous".


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