Clemons's supporters have over the years given a different rendition of events. In the racially heated atmosphere of St Louis in the early 1990s, they say, Clemons was made the fall guy. Of the four men who were charged with the murders, the three black men were all put on death row while the one white man is now free on parole.

Marples, who later fled to Monaco to escape prosecution for fraud, was the driving force behind The Reshaping of British Railways report published on March 27 1963. Dr Richard Beeching [who wrote the report] was just his fall guy.

Fall guy

Meaning

Noun

Synonyms