A brown, check car rug was spread out; another small, personalised feature of the rallying Morris. Storie and Gregsten pleaded with him not to shoot them. [citation needed]. Paul Stickler's book is available on Amazon here. 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. All rights reserved. Ask the author: Jeremy Craddock on The Jigsaw Murders, Ask the author: Monica Weller on investigating a 50-year-old cold case. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. On April 4, 1962, Hanratty was hanged by executioner Harry Allen at Bedford Prison. "James Hanratty killed Michael Gregsten. Within a few days, the defence had checked and assembled a new alibi for Hanratty. 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. She was of the opinion that it is for all of us to make the most of what we have been dealt.'. [citation needed]. 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. He was then buried in the grounds of Bedford Gaol. Justice attended the trial every day, being driven there by his chauffeur, and Alphon accompanied him from time to time. She refused and, having managed to free her hands, tried to disarm him but was overpowered; after he threatened to shoot her, she relented. 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. After ignoring her pleas to shoot her as well, or let her get help for Gregsten, the gunman told her to kiss him. Hanratty said he had called into a sweetshop in Scotland Road and asked directions to 'Carleton' or 'Tarleton' Road. The police issued an appeal to boarding-house keepers to report any unusual or suspicious guests. 22nd August 1961, Michael Gregsten a 36-year-old research scientist at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough. Police handout, showing James Hanratty in police custody, Lennon and Ono protest Hanratty's execution. Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. 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. I could not ever relax.". Pre-pay for multiple images and download on demand. After climbing into the car's back seat, he ordered Gregsten to drive. It details 22 attempts made by Michael and Valerie to escape or frustrate the gunman, including hatching a plan to drive into a policeman if they came across one on the journey in order to get his attention. Transferred briefly to Durham Prison, he was returned to Strangeways where, having served his full term, he was released in March 1961, aged 24. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. This was the beginning of the crime which would see Michael murdered and Valerie raped and shot before being left at Deadman's Hill on the A6. There was plenty of evidence that Hanratty had been in London all day on Monday 21 August: in the morning he had deposited a suit into a dry cleaners' in Swiss Cottage; he had been to his friend Charles France's house on the Monday afternoon, and visited the Vienna Hotel in the evening. James Hanratty was born on 4 October 1936 in Farnborough, Kent,[3] the eldest of four sons of James Francis Hanratty (19071978) and his wife Mary Ann Hanratty (19171999). When Alphon found out, he flew into a rage. The man tied Storie's hands behind her back with Gregsten's tie and then saw a duffle bag containing some clean clothing. [12] Kerr alerted Sydney Burton, a farm labourer, who flagged down two cars and asked the drivers to call an ambulance. Despite being pilloried by the media, Valerie Storie withdrew from the limelight and tried to live a normal life. Alphon stuck to his confession and continued to repeat it until about 1971, when he withdrew his claims. 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. Was Michael actually going to leave his wife and two boys? He said: "Whenever journalists came to her asking to tell her story she said no, as they'd misrepresent her. 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. Drain the heater and clean it. However, she was certain that this occurred on Monday 21 August. Mr Gregsten's companion, Valerie Storie, was raped, shot and left for dead. Results from testing in June 1999 were said to be strong evidence of a familial match - the evidential DNA was "two and a half million times more likely" to belong to James Hanratty than to anyone else. In October 2000, the Court of Appeal ordered the exhumation of Hanratty's body. 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. This is a hold-up," a mans voice said. The car had been jointly owned by Gregsten's mother and aunt, and lent to the couple who, according to Storie, were planning to attend a car rally. He always protested his innocence claiming he was 250-miles from the scene in a bed-and-breakfast in North Wales at the time of the attack. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images The dead man, who has been identified as physicist Michael John Gregsten, 34, from Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, had been shot twice in the head with a 38-calibre revolver. 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.'. 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. In police line-ups, Storie did not recognise Alphon, but eventually identified Hanratty. Against the wishes of his parents, Hanratty's body had been exhumed and his DNA was compared to that found on Valerie's underwear and the handkerchief in which the murder weapon had been hidden. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. Inside a parked Morris Minor was a 36-year-old scientist, Michael Gregsten, and his 22-year-old girlfriend, Valerie Storie. The other piece of evidence tested, a sample from Valerie Storie's underwear, provided two different sets of male DNA - one that corresponded to Hanratty; and one which the Court of Appeal interpreted as coming from Gregsten.[34]. Look after mum and dad. But for the next 40 years Valerie was slammed by campaign groups and celebrities who were convinced Hanratty was innocent, making her reluctant to speak to the media during her lifetime. He had the same identifying manner of speech as the killer. Valeries immediate instinct was that it was the farmer coming to find out what they were doing and to tell them to get off his land. In 1999 the case was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). "[25], The journalist and campaigner Ludovic Kennedy wrote many articles asserting Hanratty's innocence. After driving them around the English countryside for hours, the intruder shot both Michael and Valerie, leaving them on the side of the road at a location known as Deadman's Hill. Gregsten had been hit twice in the head and died instantly. A BBC Panorama episode in 1966 included extracts from the Jean Justice tapes. Michael was 14 years older than her and married with two children, though he was in the process of separating from his wife. Through the window of the car and despite the fading light, she could clearly see that he was wearing a suit and tie with a white shirt. 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. I had found the guilty person. . Believing that he had killed her, Hanratty drove south in the direction of Luton. His wife, Maureen Hanratty, said the family had been 'put through hell' because of the behaviour of the authorities. Nudds' statement also said that Alphon had stayed in the hotel as he claimed, and had remained in his room, Room 6, all night. [34] Modern testing of DNA from Hanratty's exhumed corpse and members of his family convinced Court of Appeal judges in 2002 that Hanratty's guilt was proved "beyond doubt". In 1997, a police inquiry concluded he was wrongfully convicted and the case was sent to the Court of Appeal,[1] which ruled in 2002 that a DNA test conclusively proved Hanratty's guilt beyond any doubt.[2]. The man then kept them there for two hours, chattering to them incessantly. 10:56, 04 Apr 2022 It is not known why the trial was moved to Bedford, just nine miles from the murder scene, although this afforded easier access for the now-paraplegic Valerie Storie, who had received treatment at nearby Stoke Mandeville Hospital. 341,587,075 stock photos, 360 panoramic images, vectors and videos, Share Alamy images with your team and customers. I'm thinking." libra ascendant jupiter in 7th house; kelly holt barn sanctuary married; in your presence, in your presence there is peace lyrics; how to watch deleted youtube videos reddit Shortly after his return, Gregsten left his pregnant wife, Janet, and went to live in Windsor, inviting Valerie Storie to navigate for him during car rallies organised by the de Havilland car. Satisfied he had killed her, the gunman drove off southward with much crashing of gears, in the direction of Luton. Gregsten was ordered to stop at a milk vending machine and sent into a shop to buy cigarettes, and then to stop at a petrol station for more fuel. They covered about 30 miles before the gunman ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by on the A6 at Clophill at around 01 . Mr Stickler remains interested in pursuing the story further and is looking into another case which he believes might have inspired Hanratty. '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. Source: www.apartments.com. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. 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. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. 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. In July of the following year he fell from his bicycle, injuring his head and remaining unconscious for 10 hours; he was admitted to Wembley Hospital, where he remained for nine days. ", "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? Storie was an assistant at the same laboratory and had been having an affair with Gregsten, although this did not become public knowledge until Storie wrote a series of articles for the popular Today magazine in June 1962, five months after the trial. On Tuesday, 22nd August, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, a research physicist, called at the address of his estranged wife at Sabine House, Abbots Langley, and after taking his 9-year old son, Simon, to play in Cassiobury Park, Watford, he collected his girlfriend, Valerie Storie, 22, from work, and he and Storie went in Gregsten's Morris Minor to the Old Station Inn, Taplow, near Slough. Try to reignite the pilot light. [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. The murderer left the scene in Mr Gregsten's grey Morris Minor, registration number 847 BHN, which was found abandoned in Ilford, Essex, this evening. [37][38] However, they further went on to note, in the summary of their judgement: The DNA evidence does not stand alone and the Court refers to some of the more striking coincidences in the light of the DNA evidence if James Hanratty was not guilty. Miss Storie's mother, Mrs John Storie, said: "Michael came here last night and had tea with Valerie. The man accused of the "A6 murder" has entered a plea of "not guilty" at the start of his trial at Bedfordshire Assizes in Bedford. A group known as the A6 Committee was set up, with newspaper articles following and demands for an independent review in the House of Lords. He took several steps back to the car before turning and firing four bullets at her, then reloaded and fired again. Show all articles. They were confronted by a man with a gun. For over thirty five years one person remained silent. This is a hold-up, a mans voice said. They drove via London Heathrow Airport, up through the Middlesex suburbs, on to the A5 and then on to the A6 to Clophill, Bedfordshire. While at Maidstone, Hanratty came to the attention of a researcher who lived and worked alongside the inmates; he was later to remark upon Hanrattys "gross social and emotional immaturity". Hanratty was then charged with the capital murder of Michael Gregsten. [4][5][6][7] By 1937, the family had moved to Wembley in northwest London. 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. 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. 'There's a very powerful human story in this. She then began to draft a book telling her story of what happened that night on the A6, and of the suspicions she endured for years after, but tragically she died in 2016 before she wrote it. Police believe the couple, both employees of the Road Research Laboratory near Slough, were confronted by a man with a gun as they were parked on Dorney Common in Berkshire yesterday evening. Was this a miscarriage of justice? Valerie Storie after receiving treatment for stab wounds on the A6 where Michael Gregsten was murdered is taken to court during trial against James. Hanratty was sent to recuperate at an aunt's home in Bedford, a place he and his brother Michael had visited as children on holiday.
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