Crossword Genius

Fellow Conservative avoids prison by chance (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

happen

'chance' is the definition.
(happening is a kind of chancing)

I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.

(Other definitions for happen that I've seen before include "Occur" , "Come to pass" , "Chance" , "maybe, in the Yorkshire Dales" , "Turn out" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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