Dando witness saw 'Desperate Dan' man

A man was seen jogging in Jill Dando's street

A man resembling the cartoon character "Desperate Dan" was seen in Jill Dando's road before she was shot dead on her doorstep, the Old Bailey has heard.

Charlotte de Rosnay, who lived near the BBC television presenter, contacted police after spotting a man in the same road in Fulham, south London, on 26 April 1999.

She told the court the man looked like an estate agent with five o'clock shadow.

He had one arm concealed as if in his pocket

Charlotte de Rosnay

Mrs de Rosnay told police in a statement that he looked like Desperate Dan.

She was speaking on the ninth day of the trial of Barry George, 41, of Crookham Road, Fulham, who denies murdering Ms Dando.

Mrs de Rosnay said she was with her mother-in-law in the bedroom of her home in Gowan Avenue on the day Ms Dando was killed.

They were looking out of the window, when she saw the man.

Hand in pocket

"He was crossing the road jogging diagonally towards Munster Road," she said.

"I had a very good view of him for about five seconds."

She described the man as between 32 and 37 years old, 5ft 10ins to 6ft tall, of stocky solid build with dark brown hair.

Barry George denies murdering Miss Dando

"He was wearing a navy blue suit, lighter blue shirt and dark shoes," she said.

"He had one arm concealed as if in his pocket and the other loose."

When Mrs de Rosnay attended a video identification parade the following October the following year, she had been unable to pick out anyone as the man she had seen.

Her mother-in-law, Stella de Rosnay, who lives in France, was also unable to pick out anyone on the parade.

She felt frustrated that she had not seen the people in full. She had not expected to see nine people with either beards or moustaches.

After Mrs Stella de Rosnay completed her evidence, Michael Mansfield QC, defending, told the court "whoever the witness saw that day was not my client".

The trial was adjourned until Friday.