House-to-house inquiries have also been carried out. [8], The first policeman on the scene was handed a census form on which Kerr had written down Storie's account of what she recalled at that moment; the document was never seen again. She didn't change her story one iota.'. Professor Hobbs said: 'It is important that people understand that it is very easy to jump on a bandwagon and come up with a conclusion that is wrong.'. Michael J. Gregston [, GRO Register of Marriages: SEP 1951 5f 1655 WOOD GREEN - Michael J. Gregsten = Janet Phillips or Kinnock, GRO Register of Deaths: JAN 1995 38C 7831 24 HORSHAM - Janet Gregsten, DoB = 9 Jan 1930, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Wrongly hanged: Hanratty is found innocent", "40 years after his execution, appeal judges say DNA is certain proof of Hanratty's guilt", "Hansard (for the 2 August 1963 sitting)", "We will never know the truth about the A6 killer", "After 36 years, Hanratty is set to be cleared", "Appeal Court to review Hanratty murder case", "England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions. [citation needed] Police went back to Nudds, the hotel manager (who himself had a lengthy criminal record for fraud and other offences), who now said that his second statement was a lie, and his first statement, implicating 'Ryan', was in fact true. cid exam previous question papers. On 11 September, two cartridge cases were found in the guest basement bedroom of the Vienna Hotel, which were matched with the bullets that killed Gregsten and to the ones in the gun found on the bus. The Hanrattys were warm, gentle, determined people, unlikely parents of a man who had been convicted of shooting Michael Gregsten dead in a lay-by off the A6, raping his girlfriend Valerie Storie and then shooting her, leaving her for dead before driving off in the couple's car. This image could have imperfections as its either historical or reportage. He then stated that he had in fact been in the Welsh coastal town of Rhyl. He was a scientist at the laboratory and being a talented mathematician occasionally taught evening classes at St Albans Technical College, so extra money was coming in, but it nevertheless worried him. Alphon subsequently surrendered himself, and was subjected to an intense interrogation. Gregsten's girlfriend, Valerie Storie, was raped, shot five times, and left paralysed. Hanratty was convicted of the murder in 1962 and sentenced to death. Miraculously, Valerie survived, but was left paralysed from the chest down for the rest of her life. That's basically taking the rest of his brothers life with him, since he knew he wouldn't be cleared. [citation needed]. The pair had been intimate for two years after meeting through work, and seemingly had spoken about marriage. The author now hopes that the posthumous autobiography will be turned into a film so that more people can learn about what she endured. 1945: Ex-soldier buried his wife on Anglesey beach after . Storie recalled what the man had said about being on the run for four months, yet he was immaculately dressed in a dark three-piece suit and with well-shined shoes. Although Hanratty's blood group (O) was the same as the murderer's, it was a fairly common blood type shared by 36% of the British population, including Peter Alphon and, apart from Storie's identification, there was no other evidence that Hanratty had ever been in the Maidenhead area. It also tells the true story of Valerie's complicated relationship with 36-year-old Michael. .. Michael Gregsten is a 36-year-old research scientist at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough. Despite this, Michael was having an affair with his 22-year-old lab assistant, Valerie Storie. Gregsten was found shot dead in a car on the A6 in Deadman's Hill, Bedfordshire, and his girlfriend Valerie Storie was raped . With the gun still pointing at them, the man said, I have been on the run for four months. He then ordered Storie to drag Gregsten's body out of the car to the edge of the lay-by 2 or 3 metres away, before ordering her back into the car to start it for him and demonstrate the operation of the gears and switches. Im a desperate man. James Hanratty denied shooting Michael Gregsten, a physicist, twice in the head last August. Ingrams said that Foot continued until his own death in 2004 to believe in Hanratty's alibi, despite the DNA tests of 2002. E-mail this story to a friend Watch/Listen Detectives search the murder scene Man finds A6. I do this act in the knowledge that it will clear my family's character of any act or wrong'. Hanratty's family and their supporters have continued to contest this conclusion and to press for a further review of his conviction. Alphon claimed he gave Gregsten two chances to get away but "each time the bloody man kept coming back". Moreover, the murderer drove badly, whereas Hanratty was an experienced car thief. Free shipping for many products! Justice took the precaution of making thorough notes, and recording all telephone conversations with Alphon. My evidence has never changed, neither have I ever had any doubts. He was hanged at Bedford Jail on 4 April 1962, after being convicted of the murder of scientist Michael Gregsten, aged 36, who was shot dead in a car on the A6 at Deadman's Hill, near Clophill, Bedfordshire in August 1961. Hanratty's early years were troubled. 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On April 4, 1962, Hanratty was hanged by executioner Harry Allen at Bedford Prison. The manager of the Alexandra Court Hotel reported a man who had locked himself in his room for five days after the murder, and the police picked him up. At about 9pm on August 22, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, and his girlfriend Valerie Storie, 22, were sitting in their Morris Minor 1000 car in a lay-by at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire, when there was a tap on the driver's window. "[42], Following the DNA evidence in 2002, Storie earned over 40,000 for her participation in various TV and newspaper documentaries. At the trial Nudds also stated that the man, upon leaving, had asked the way to a bus stop for a 36A bus, though his statement to police had merely mentioned the 36 bus. October 11th, 1961, James Hanratty was arrested for murder and rape. ", "Hanratty's body is reburied after DNA testing", "DNA proves Hanratty guilt 'beyond doubt', "The A6 Murder (BBC2 programme transcript)", "Hanratty family in new appeal against murder conviction", "Rape victim speaks out at last about Hanratty", "Community transport service launches new bus", "Tributes pour in for Slough's brave Valerie Storie", Criminal Cases Review Commission Referral, "Hanratty's defence lawyer: "The wrong man was not hanged", Innocent.org.uk Criminal Cases Review Commission, A miscarriage of justice? For disappearances in France on the A6 between Paris and Lyon, see, GRO Register of Deaths SEP 1978 11 0739 BRENT - James Francis Hanratty, DoB = 3 October 1907, GRO Register of Marriages DEC 1936 2a 1724 BROMLEY - James Hanratty = Mary A. Wilson, GRO Register of Deaths JUL 1999 C81A 2421C 97 LEWISHAM - Mary Ann Hanratty, DoB = 6 April 1917, GRO Register of Births DEC 1936 2a 1038 BROMLEY - James Hanratty, mmn = Wilson, GRO Register of Births: MAR 1925 3a 660 BARNET. He would have been wrongly identified by three witnesses at identification parades; first as the person at the scene of the crime and secondly (by two witnesses) driving a vehicle close to where the vehicle in which the murder was committed was found. [citation needed]. Michael Streeter on the latest twist in a celebrated murder mystery. After ignoring her pleas to shoot her as well, or let her get help for Gregsten, the gunman told her to kiss him. France also left behind several letters for his family, the contents of which have never been made public. On 7 September 1954, aged 17, Hanratty appeared before Harrow Magistrates' where he was placed on probation for taking a motor vehicle without consent, and for driving without a licence or insurance. On 19 March 1997, the Home Office referred the case to the new Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) where Baden Skitt chaired the investigation. He was struck by how calm and measured she was throughout the whole ordeal. [27] Justice encouraged the initially reluctant Fox to help him expose what he believed to be the fabrication of the case against Hanratty. Valerie wrote: "Hanratty committed a crime and was found guilty and was hanged. At the time of France's second suicide attempt in January, one of the letters he left was addressed to the coroner, in which he wrote 'I am of sound mind and body. Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. Hi, It's truly a crying shame that all the postings on this fascinating forum have been lost, seemingly for ever. Whilst he was a professional thief, he had no convictions for violence, and apparently had never possessed a gun, although he later admitted to the police that he had attempted to obtain one after his last release from prison in March 1961. [12] Kerr alerted Sydney Burton, a farm labourer, who flagged down two cars and asked the drivers to call an ambulance. Among the prosecution team at the trial was Geoffrey Lane, who was subsequently appointed Lord Chief Justice. My wife and i were driving a neigborhood looking for houses, and came accross a for sale sign with a phone number. Even when she was vindicated at a trial in 2002, she said little more than a few words publicly. Hanratty also raped Gregsten's fiance, Valerie Storie, shot her five times and left her for dead. Sixty years ago today, on April 4, 1962, their attacker was one of the last eight people in the UK to be executed when he was hanged at Bedford Prison. Justice attended the trial every day, being driven there by his chauffeur, and Alphon accompanied him from time to time. [citation needed], On 7 September, Meike Dalal was attacked in her home in Richmond, Surrey, by a man claiming to be the A6 murderer, whom she later identified as Alphon in an identity parade on 23 September. As a result of these facts, after the A6 murder, Valerie was often unfairly characterised as a "loose woman". He took several steps back to the car before turning and firing four bullets at her, then reloaded and fired again. A man threatened the couple with a gun. [citation needed] Storie gave another statement to the police later that morning, just before she underwent surgery in Bedford Hospital. She said: 'They have built their case on this myth and it has grown to become pure folklore. Rachel Muir For Mailonline, Easter getaway havoc as more than 1,100 flights are cancelled with Heathrow airport blaming soaring passenger and staff rotas hit by Covid for long queues as fliers also endure chaos at Manchester and Gatwick, Oligarch who was once Russia's richest man says the nation's billionaire elites need to publicly declare Putin a war criminal to prove they do not work for the Kremlin, Covid lockdowns have left a generation of young children struggling to crawl, talk, share, make friends and use the toilet independently, Ofsted report finds. All you have to do is to click here and type in your email address. Michael was 14 years older than her and married with two children, though he was in the process of separating from his wife. Storie then left the car and returned to sit beside Gregsten's body. [citation needed] She remembered a man resembling Hanratty, and at first said he stayed there during the week of 1926 August but later said she couldnt really remember what week he did stay. When Paul was handed what he calls the 'Storie papers', made up of her own notes on that fateful night as well as police tapes, he decided her story needed to be told. Police handout, showing James Hanratty in police custody, Lennon and Ono protest Hanratty's execution. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. He wrote a suicide letter to Hanratty; it was full of spite and venom, but at no point actually accused him of committing the murder. She was of the opinion that it is for all of us to make the most of what we have been dealt.'. Valerie hid pound notes in her bra to stop Hanratty from taking them. The unit should also be connected correctly to the power source. Journalists such as Paul Foot and Bob Woffinden campaigned for years to prove Hanratty's innocence, casting doubt on Valerie's evidence. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. "However, my MP joined the rebel cause, became embroiled in a committee set up to prove a miscarriage of justice, and had the temerity to write to me asking me to join it.". How much time had passed since they had pulled into the field is not absolutely clear since neither was paying particular attention but, Valerie would later estimate, after about thirty minutes their private conversation was disturbed. "If anyone doesn't want to be punished then they, surely, don't commit the crime. He was then buried in the grounds of Bedford Gaol. If you do as I tell you, you will be alright., Extracted from The Long Silence: The True Story of James Hanratty and the A6 Murder by Valerie Storie, the Woman Who Lived to Tell the Tale by Paul Stickler. During one of the phone calls, he pronounced "think" as "fink".[20]. During the 1990s, increasingly advanced DNA analysis techniques became widely available. He then ordered her to drag Michael's body out of the car to the edge of the lay-by before ordering her to show him how to operate the vehicle. His companion, 22-year-old laboratory assistant, Valerie Storie, from Cippenham, near Slough, had been raped and shot five times in the chest. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet 1962 OLD PHOTO at the best online prices at eBay! France, who had suffered from bouts of severe depression for many years, committed suicide by gassing himself (his third attempt) about two weeks before the execution. For over thirty five years one person remained silent. 'What I do find distasteful is that the family's belief in their son's innocence has been boosted by campaigners who have given them false hope. But if it happens, use the ignition to turn the pilot on again. It was clear he either had not driven before, or was unfamiliar with a Morris Minor. Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet before he was murdered in his car on the A6 by James Hanratty. Initially admitted to the Royal Sussex Hospital, Brighton, he was transferred to St Francis Hospital, Haywards Heath, where he underwent a craniotomy following the erroneous diagnosis of a brain haemorrhage. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Woman left with serious injuries after dog attack on residential road in Luton. The case became a cause celebre, with politicians and pop stars, legal experts and writers joining the campaign to prove he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. First sergeant epr bullets june 30, 2022 | | 0 comment | 2:40 pm. They drove around the suburbs of North London, apparently aimlessly. The James Hanratty case is perhaps Bedfordshire's most notorious murder. If you're looking for a way to stay up to date with the latest breaking news from around Bedfordshire, the BedfordshireLive newsletter is a good place to start. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. At about 6:45am on 23 August 1961, the body of Michael John Gregsten (28 December 1924 - 23 August 1961)[10][11] was discovered in a lay-by on the A6 road at Deadman's Hill, near the Bedfordshire village of Clophill, by John Kerr, an Oxford undergraduate conducting a traffic census. Hanratty confessed to his defence barrister that he had invented part of the Liverpool story as he was unsure he could prove where he was. DNA samples from both sources exactly matched James Hanratty's DNA. After leaving the school in 1951 at the age of 15, Hanratty, still illiterate, joined the Public Cleansing Department of Wembley Borough Council as a refuse sorter. The couple were found by a police patrol in the lay-by on the A6 at Deadman's Hill, near Luton, at 0645 BST today. His wife, Maureen Hanratty, said the family had been 'put through hell' because of the behaviour of the authorities. By the time of his arrest for the murder of Michael Gregsten, Hanratty had already accumulated four convictions for motoring offences and housebreaking. They were ordered to drive to Deadman's Hill, where the attack took place. [32][33], While some of the original items of physical evidence were destroyed, the sample from Miss Storie's underwear had been discovered in 1991 and, in late-1997, the handkerchief was subsequently found in the possession of the Berkshire police. The sudden intrusion did not seem real. One dog was subsequently put to sleep due the severity of it's injuries. On 3 July 1957, aged 20, five months after his release from Wormwood Scrubs, Hanratty was sentenced at Brighton Magistrates' Court to six months' imprisonment (he served four) for a variety of motoring offences, including theft of a motor vehicle and driving without a licence. Valerie Storie was left paralysed after James Hanratty attacked her and killed her boyfriend in August 1961. Mr Stickler, a former Hampshire Constabulary police officer who specialised in murder investigations, compiled the book during lockdown using thousands of records and annotated documents left behind by Valerie. Despite being the victim of an unspeakable crime, Valerie found herself at the centre of a witch hunt committed to proving the innocence of the man she knew to be her attacker. Storie recalled that he pronounced "things" as "fings" and "think" as "fink".[18]. She identified James Hanratty as her attacker during an identity parade. 1985: West German spy chief defects to East, Man finds A6 murder weapon - broadcast 25 August 1961. [8], Hanratty's capital murder trial started at Bedfordshire Assizes on 22 January 1962 before Mr Justice Gorman and a jury; it was originally to have been heard at the Old Bailey, as requested by Hanratty's defence counsel, Michael Sherrard QC, later CBE. Hanratty's uneducated London accent and his 'very large icy-blue eyes' enabled Valerie to identify him from a line-up and she later testified at his trial. I therefore have no fear of him. Jet tila michael voltaggio and defending champion and last seasons winner brooke williamson. By the age of 11 he had been declared ineducable at St James Catholic High School, Burnt Oak, Barnet, although his parents steadfastly refused to accept he was in any way mentally deficient and successfully resisted attempts to have him placed in a special school. You shot him. 2023 Getty Images. Flatline intro and Come play with me intro and outro www.dl-sounds.com, Logo and website design Paulina Szymanska, James Hanratty: The A6 Murder Crime Files, Tributes pour in for Sloughs brave Valerie Storie Slough & South Bucks Observer, Man is charged with A6 murder The Guardian, Court told of A6 car chase The Guardian, Calls to Yard in A6 case The Guardian, Hanratty family in new appeal against murder conviction BBC News, Police denial of concealing evidence The Guardian, Lay by murder gun identified The Guardian, New search in lay by murder The Guardian, Lennon film on the A6 murder found The Observer, Fresh confession revives Hanratty doubts The Guardian, Appeal court to reveal Hanratty murder case The Guardian, DNA hampers effort to clear Hanratty The Guardian, Murder casebook: James Hanratty Crime and Investigation Network, A miscarriage of justice? After nine hours, they returned to the court and entered a unanimous verdict of guilty. However, she was certain that this occurred on Monday 21 August. As a result of these facts, after the A6 murder, Valerie was often unfairly characterised as a "loose woman". In October 2000, the Court of Appeal ordered the exhumation of Hanratty's body. See the latest news in your area enter your postcode below or visit InYourArea: This story is well known and Hanratty, often referred to as the A6 Murderer, has become Bedfordshire's most notorious killer. The man got into the back of the car and told Gregsten to drive further into the field, then stop. After forcing them to drive 60 miles, gunman James Hanratty murdered Michael before raping Valerie and emptying a number of rounds into her body. Hanratty's initial defence was that he had been in Liverpool on the day of the murder, but then, halfway through the trial, he changed part of his story, claiming that he had in fact been in Rhyl, North Wales. Where was the money going to come from? Mr Stickler remains interested in pursuing the story further and is looking into another case which he believes might have inspired Hanratty. This turned out to be untrue, as her and her boyfriend, Michael Gregsten, were held up by a gunman and held captive in Gregsten's car for five hours. 10:56, 04 Apr 2022 I'm thinking." After a five-hour ordeal, ending in a layby on the A6 in Bedfordshire, Michael was shot dead and Valerie was raped, shot and left for dead. Jamal Edwards, a music producer and entrepreneur, died suddenly in February 2022. That night, after stopping for a drink at The Station Inn at Taplow, they stopped on a countryside road to discuss their future. Surely we could do much better?, Man in his 70s attacked in his home by burglars in Luton. Despatched to the youth wing of Wormwood Scrubs, he slashed his wrists; placed in the prison hospital, he was declared a 'potential psychopath'. But when Michael reached for the bag Hanratty shot him twice in the head, killing him instantly. The decision by the Court of Appeal included a discussion of the handling of the various items of evidence involved. It was a conclusive match. Another man obtained a gun for Alphon, whereupon he set off and hijacked the pair. The initial prime suspects were Hanratty, a petty criminal, and Peter Louis Alphon, an eccentric drifter. DESCRIPTIONIn August 1961, a couple by the name of Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their Morris Minor car in Dorney Reach, UK, when an in. They had never been disturbed before and it was easier to talk here rather than anywhere else. When she refused, the man got out and forced her out of the car at gunpoint, pushing her on to the back seat, where he ordered her to undo her brassiere and remove her underwear before raping her. Her wish was honoured when The Long Silence was released with the title that Valerie had planned to give to her book. A brown, check car rug was spread out; another small, personalised feature of the rallying Morris. Get in touch for any commercial. [34] DNA was donated by Hanratty's mother and brother,[22] which they expected to exonerate him when compared with DNA extracted from surviving evidence. One of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was abolished, the petty criminal was hanged at Bedford Jail in 1962 for the murder of Michael Gregsten at Deadman's Hill, near Clophill, on the A6.
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