Sir Cliff's faith tested over Dando's murder.
Sir Cliff Richard has revealed that his faith in God was severely tested after the death of his close friend Jill Dando.Sir Cliff, a prominent Christian figure in the music world, said he "screamed and railed against God" following the shooting of the BBC Crimewatch presenter on the doorstep of her London home.
And Sir Cliff, who was interviewed at his home as part of the investigation into Miss Dando's murder, added: "Whoever did it must be caught. I'm finding it hard not to wish her killer a horrible death."
Miss Dando and 58-year-old Sir Cliff became friends and he was said to have spent hours on the telephone talking to her. Both were committed Christians and she had told friends he had become a close confidant.
The singer was a guest at the party in January at which Miss Dando announced her engagement to Dr Alan Farthing, a consultant gynaecologist.
Miss Dando, aged 37, was gunned down on the doorstep of her home in Fulham, south-west London, three months ago.
"I was really angry with God," said Sir Cliff. "It shook me rigid that someone as beautiful, talented and harmless could have been killed.
"I screamed and railed against God for quite a few nights. I don't have any answers from Him, other than there is good and bad on the planet, and we attempt to do the best we can to eliminate the kind of person that would kill Jill."
As part of the investigation, he was interviewed at his Surrey home for two hours by police. He had rung the incident room to offer his help a few days after she was shot dead. Detectives had to wait until he had finished his European tour before they were able to conduct a full interview.
"The police wanted to piece Jill's life together and I wanted to give them all the assistance they needed," he said,
Sir Cliff's comments on his faith were prompted by a reader's question on his religious thoughts to be published in the September issue of Q, the music magazine. The entertainer admits that, as the years go by, he finds it more difficult to adhere to the Christian principle of turning the other cheek.
"There's a dichotomy," he says. "Do I want to appear as some weak soggy Christian who takes anything people give? No, I don't.
"I find it difficult when nowadays people are far more impertinent, far cruder, far ruder than I remember."
Meanwhile, it was claimed yesterday that a Russian gangster was a new prime suspect after Israeli intelligence told the British Government he ordered Miss Dando's execution when she snubbed his sexual advances while visiting Cyprus during the filming of the Holiday Programme for the BBC.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "As we have already said, Miss Dando's private life is a subject of investigation. Her work abroad is also being looked into."
It was also claimed that distinctive marks found on the bullet cartridge case were typical of those used by Russian special forces.
Another report said detectives were examining possible links between the shooting and IRA and Loyalist gunmen, who are thought to be for hire as hitmen on the mainland and have already been linked to several attempted contract killings.
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| Title Annotation: | National |
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| Publication: | The Birmingham Post (England) |
| Date: | Aug 2, 1999 |
| Words: | 545 |
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