Peter Dorschel

Peter Dorschel was an East German spy convicted in Scotland in June 1967 of offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act, involving the sale of information to the USSR.

Background Peter Dorschel was a ship's cook. Little is known of his background other than that he came from what was then the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and had visited Britain on occasion prior to 1967 when employed as a seaman. He had worked legally under the English permit system

Arrest and trial Dorschel was living at 10 Webster Grove, Prestwich, England, when he was arrested on 26 May 1967 in connection with his activities. Then aged 26, he was accused of inciting another man, William Alexander MacAffer (sometimes spelled McAffer), "to obtain documents which might be or were intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State." MacAffer was a 30-year-old bookmaker who lived at Argyll Street in Dunoon. Another who was involved in the conspiracy was Garry Lee Ledbetter, With Nicholas Fairbairn acting in his defence at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh, Dorschel was sentenced on 23 June to seven years' imprisonment.

Alleged accomplices Dorschel had co-operated from the outset with the investigation and Fairbairn said that he had received no training nor had any particular ideological basis for his activities. At the time of Dorschel's sentencing, the US Navy reported that investigations were still proceeding with regard to Ledbetter. both attended but refused to supply information. Ledbetter, who had been subjected to a polygraph test, was found guilty. He was sentenced to six months' hard labour and discharged from the navy.

Although charges had been laid against MacAffer, they were dropped in September 1967. The Crown Office, who were responsible for prosecuting, said that it was unable to provide a reason for this. MacAffer faced further charges in October 1967, relating to alleged avoidance of customs duty and illegal off-course bookmaking that had been discovered in May.

Later events Dorschel was released in January 1970 and deported to West Germany. Later in that year, his wife, Christine, who had been aged 21 at the time of the trial and had promised to "stand by" him, divorced him on the grounds of cruelty. In granting the decree nisi, the judge chose to overlook her admitted adultery. She said at the time of the divorce that she thought Dorschel was possibly serving in the merchant navy of the USSR.