James Hanratty (4 October 1936 4 April 1962), also known as the A6 Murderer, was a British criminal who was one of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was effectively abolished. As executor of Valerie's will, Professor Hobbs was the first to come across the documents and notes she left behind and he worked with Mr Stickler to ensure that the 'posthumous autobiography' was an honest and truthful account. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs. Janet Gregston with her two sons Anthony 3 and Simon (9) 1961. The case for Hanratty's innocence was pursued by his family as well as by some of the opponents of capital punishment in the United Kingdom, who maintained that Hanratty was innocent and sought to draw attention to evidence that would cast doubt on the validity of his conviction. ", Planned school expansion will cause 'traffic chaos', councillor claims, Councillor Victoria Harvey warned: This council is failing on travel plans. Shortly afterwards, he began psychiatric treatment as an outpatient at the Portman Clinic. Valerie and 36-year-old Michael Gregsten were held captive in their car for five hours by a gunman who forced them to drive 60 miles from Buckinghamshire to Bedfordshire before shooting them. He told Gregsten to pass the bag but, as Gregsten moved, there were two shots. [12] Gregsten had been shot twice in the head with a .38 revolver at point blank range; Storie had been raped, and then shot with the same weapon, four times in the left shoulder and once in the neck, leaving her paralysed below the shoulders. "[42], Following the DNA evidence in 2002, Storie earned over 40,000 for her participation in various TV and newspaper documentaries. They are by no means risk free but if smoking a pack of cigs is like downing a bottle of wodka on one night, a nicotine pouch is like drinking a half pint in comparison in terms of health risk. Search above As she told food network, "i learned more about myself with every battle and i learned more how deeply talented the other warriors in this tournament are. [30], The Hanratty family acting through their solicitor, Sir Geoffrey Bindman, repeatedly called for further inquiries into the case. All you have to do is to click here and type in your email address. Peter Alphon died in January 2009 after a fall at his home. Hanratty put a cloth over Michael's bloodied head before raping Valerie on the back seat of the car. When Alphon found out, he flew into a rage. Next, use the -inch open-end wrench and pull out the thermistor by turning it counter-clockwise. All rights reserved. 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. 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. The prosecution was led by Graham Swanwick QC, later a High Court judge. DNA samples from both sources exactly matched James Hanratty's DNA. Well push your creativity and go beyond your brief. The day before he died he wrote a letter to his brother Michael in which he said: "I'm dying tomorrow but I'm innocent. 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. She was able to see only the body of the man between his waist and shoulders, but his smart appearance seemed at odds with his threatening behaviour. Source: www.apartments.com. Find the right content for your market. In March 1958, aged 21, at the County of London Sessions, Hanratty was again convicted of car theft, and of driving while disqualified, and sentenced to three years' corrective training at Wandsworth Prison, and then to Maidstone Prison. I would ask you now to respect my wish to be left in piece.". The 'A6 Defence Committee' was a self-appointed group of campaigners and activists, who included the journalist Paul Foot and the Labour politicians Fenner Brockway and Joan Lestor, the former and current MPs for the Eton & Slough constituency where Valerie Storie lived. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The police then took the unusual step of publicly naming Alphon as the murder suspect. Alphon stuck to his confession and continued to repeat it until about 1971, when he withdrew his claims. Use in a presentation/talk (eg,Powerpoint and Keynote) or in an editorial newsletter. Storie screamed, "You bastard! The full text of the Court of Appeals Decision: This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 14:31. Hanratty was then charged with the capital murder of Michael Gregsten. 83 Michael Gregsten Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE Collections Project #ShowUs Creative Insights EDITORIAL VIDEO BBC Motion Gallery NBC News Archives MUSIC BLOG BROWSE PRICING ENTERPRISE VisualGPS INSIGHTS BOARDS CART SIGN IN Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO His DNA was found on a piece of material from Valerie Stories knickers where it would be expected to be if he was guilty; it was also found on the handkerchief found with the gun. After ignoring her pleas to shoot her as well, or let her get help for Gregsten, the gunman told her to kiss him. Please God, the judgement by the Lord Chief Justice sees not merely the end of yet one more chapter but the end of this book that has been part of my life for so many years. Storie and Gregsten pleaded with him not to shoot them. Snus is a pasteurized, air-cured, smokeless and spitless tobacco, usually found in pouches. Michael gregsten wife / june 11, 2022 june 11, 2022 / were achilles and patroclus cousins. 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. They had been here on a few occasions before, to make love or simply to spend time alone together. What was going to happen to them? [citation needed] Storie gave another statement to the police later that morning, just before she underwent surgery in Bedford Hospital. At that time there was no conclusive forensic evidence to connect Hanratty with the car or the murder scene. This image could have imperfections as its either historical or reportage. Within a few days, the defence had checked and assembled a new alibi for Hanratty. His companion, 22-year-old laboratory assistant, Valerie Storie, from Cippenham, near Slough, had been raped and shot five times in the chest. E-mail this story to a friend Watch/Listen Detectives search the murder scene Man finds A6. Valentine's Day collision leaves moped rider with 'life-changing' injuries. He took several steps back to the car before turning and firing four bullets at her, then reloaded and fired again. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. 341,587,075 stock photos, 360 panoramic images, vectors and videos, Share Alamy images with your team and customers. Usher admitted remembering Hanratty and the suitcase, and partly remembered the name of the man as 'Ratty'; he was located by private detectives working for the defence, but was never called as a witness. During 1962, the case caught the interest of London businessman Jean Justice, the son of a Belgian diplomat and partner of barrister Jeremy Fox. [36] His DNA was compared with other DNA extracted from, firstly, mucus preserved in the handkerchief within which the murder weapon had been found wrapped and, secondly, semen preserved in the underwear worn by Storie when she was raped. Was James Hanratty Guilty or Innocent? ON Tuesday, August 22, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, called at the home of his estranged wife at Sabine House, Abbots Langley, and, after taking his nine-year-old son, Simon, to play in Cassiobury Park, Watford, he collected his girlfriend, Valerie Storie, 22, from work. In 2002 DNA evidence proved beyond all doubt that Hanratty was guilty. Free shipping for many products! Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. He was then buried in the grounds of Bedford Gaol. The gunman knew the Bear Hotel, Maidenhead. Miraculously, Valerie survived, but was left paralysed from the chest down for the rest of her life. Clear my name.". "If anyone doesn't want to be punished then they, surely, don't commit the crime. Even Valerie's own Member of Parliament, Joan Lestor, insisted Hanratty was innocent, and once sent a letter to Valerie inviting her to join the campaign for the A6 Committee. He then retrieved a cloth from the duffle bag, covered Gregsten's bloodied head with it, and ordered Storie to clamber into the back of the car, over Gregsten's body. In October 1955, aged 18, Hanratty appeared at the County of Middlesex Sessions, where he was sentenced to two terms of two years' imprisonment, to run concurrently, for housebreaking and theft. 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. Make an enquiry and our team will be get in touch with you ASAP. 'Feral pigeons' are terrorising Biggleswade's businesses, meeting hears, The 'infestation' has grown to around 50 pigeons, according to one town councillor, Closures expected with Lloyds Pharmacy set to sell off stores across UK, This follows the news that the pharmacy brand is also closing all of the 237 Lloyds outlets inside Sainsbury's, More than 40,000 defrauded from Luton Borough Council during cyber-attack, Councillor Rob Roche, portfolio holder for finance, said: "Money stolen from the council is money stolen from the residents of Luton. A man threatened the couple with a gun. Despite being left paralysed and having to spend several months undergoing therapy at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, she returned to her job as a member of the on-the-spot accident team at the Road Research Laboratory just ten months after the ordeal. They dispatched a telegram to Valerie's place of work, inviting her to the Corn Exchange to "refute any allegations that may be made against you". Michael Streeter on the latest twist in a celebrated murder mystery. Jamal Edwards, a music producer and entrepreneur, died suddenly in February 2022. She wanted to write a book to finally give her version of events but did not get round to this before her death in 2016. [citation needed]. [35], James Hanratty's body was exhumed in 2001 to extract his DNA. Hanratty's family and their supporters have continued to contest this conclusion and to press for a further review of his conviction. It was about 1954 that Hanratty became attracted to Soho, where he frequented various clubs and other haunts of the criminal underworld. 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. Find Janet Gregsten stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. (just round the corner from the authors house). Just before the defence opened its case, Hanratty changed part of his alibi. michael gregsten wife / June 11, 2022 June 11, 2022 / were achilles and patroclus cousins /. His last words to his family were "Mick, I am completely innocent. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. More than 300 homes approved as part of new Luton development, Improvements are set to be made to surrounding roads as part of the development. "The book tells the story of what happened that night and how she dealt with it in the years that followed. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Ingrams said that Foot continued until his own death in 2004 to believe in Hanratty's alibi, despite the DNA tests of 2002. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right." 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. Awesome. Gregsten had been hit twice in the head and died instantly. 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. However, there was another person called William Usher, who did have two fingers missing from one hand, which looked withered. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [28] However, Bob Woffinden wrote that there was only one occasion when Justice and Jeremy Fox supported Alphon financially, when Fox paid a hotel bill for him. In August 1961, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their car in Dorney Reach, UK when an intruder forced his way into the backseat brandishing a gun. He also wrote a letter to the coroner, in which he referred to the great harm done to the family by Hanratty. The man was immaculately dressed. The author now hopes that the posthumous autobiography will be turned into a film so that more people can learn about what she endured. This time, she did. Storie then left the car and returned to sit beside Gregsten's body. Enter your email address below to get the latest news and exclusive content from The History Press delivered straight to your inbox. In the evening of Thursday 24 August, the murder weapon, a .38 revolver, was discovered under the back seat of a 36A London bus, fully loaded and wiped clean of fingerprints. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. Something went wrong, please try again later. The gunman replied that Gregsten had frightened him by turning too quickly. [45][46], This article is about the 1961 murder on the A6 road in England. Sign up here. She didn't change her story one iota.'. Believing that he had killed her, Hanratty drove south in the direction of Luton. Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet before he was murdered in his car on the A6 by James Hanratty. 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. He then stated that he had in fact been in the Welsh coastal town of Rhyl. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. This is a hold-up, a mans voice said. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. 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. Despatched to the youth wing of Wormwood Scrubs, he slashed his wrists; placed in the prison hospital, he was declared a 'potential psychopath'. The hotel manager, William Nudds, made a statement to police naming the last occupant of the room as 'James Ryan'. Im a desperate man. It was full of her personal effects including her handbag, a wallet and a purse, a few pound notes and coins pushed inside them. Hanratty was convicted of the murder in 1962 and sentenced to death. The story of the A6 Murderer in Bedfordshire is infamous, but the story of one of his victim's has remained untold, To stay up to date with all the latest news from across Bedfordshire sign up to our free newsletter for daily updates and all the latest breaking news. He attempted to escape that facility as well, and was sent to Strangeways Prison, Manchester. Her wish was honoured when The Long Silence was released with the title that Valerie had planned to give to her book. 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. 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 2002 Valerie was finally vindicated when DNA evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that Hanratty was guilty. During the 60 mile journey, Michael and Valerie made 22 separate attempts to escape or frustrate the driver. The man tied Storie's hands behind her back with Gregsten's tie and then saw a duffle bag containing some clean clothing. She identified Hanratty from a lineup and testified at his trial. That night, after stopping for a drink at The Station Inn at Taplow, they stopped on a countryside road to discuss their future. He ordered them to drive to . In 1962, at Bedford Jail, 25-year-old Hanratty became one of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was abolished. You shot him. 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. "They then left at about 7.30pm in a grey Morris car which I understood belonged to Michael's mother. 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. [43][44][citation needed], Valerie Storie died on 26 March 2016 aged 77 in the Cippenham house where she had been born. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. After six hours they returned to ask the judge for the definition of 'reasonable doubt'. 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. A woman who was raped and shot in a car with her lover - and was then hounded by people who were convinced her attacker was innocent, has told her story in a new book from beyond the grave. [29] Fox split from Jean Justice in the 1970s, but continued the fight to clear Hanratty until his death in 1999, three years before the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction on the basis of the DNA evidence retrieved from Hanratty's corpse. Neutral Citation Number (2002) Crim 1141, 'Musing about The A6 Bedfordshire murder', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Hanratty&oldid=1135732016. 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. The case involved the death of a man who lived not far from Hanratty and Mr Stickler thinks he could have heard about it while he was in prison for house breaking. 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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. A BBC Panorama episode in 1966 included extracts from the Jean Justice tapes. They kissed only once. After forcing them to drive 60 miles, gunman James Hanratty murdered Michael before raping Valerie and emptying a number of rounds into her body. The police raided the hotel, and questioned Nudds again, who then changed his story, claiming that Alphon had in fact been in the basement and 'Ryan' in Room 6 but, for reasons unknown, had swapped rooms during the night. Michael Gregsten is a 36-year-old research scientist at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough. Were going to have traffic chaos. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images Lying next to Gregsten, semi-conscious, was Gregsten's mistress, Valerie Jean Storie (24 November 1938 26 March 2016). No DNA other than Hanratty's was found on the handkerchief in which the murder weapon had been found wrapped. [19] Alphon claimed he had spent the evening of 22 August with his mother, and the following night at the Vienna Hotel, Maida Vale; the police quickly confirmed this and Alphon was released. ease arkansas phone number Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. 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. Despite this, she was hounded by the media and celebrities, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who criticised her for allegedly sending an innocent man to his grave. 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. ', Professor Adrian Hobbs, a close friend of Valerie who worked with her at the Road Research Laboratory in Bracknell, Berkshire, said: 'I think she was just waiting to be vindicated. [4][5][6][7] By 1937, the family had moved to Wembley in northwest London. By August 22nd 1961 the marriage of Michael and Janet Gregsten had been in difficulties for some time.The 3 year love affair between Valerie Storie and Gregsten had intensified and on 1st August 1961 Gregsten had taken what seemed like an irrevocable step to end his marriage.He took a flat in Maidenhead and told his wife he would be moving in on After holding them at gunpoint for two hours, Hanratty told Michael to start driving because he wanted food. Hanratty claimed that his suitcase had been handed in to Lime Street Station to a 'man with a withered or turned hand'. By The decision by the Court of Appeal included a discussion of the handling of the various items of evidence involved. Valerie wrote: "Hanratty committed a crime and was found guilty and was hanged. Her testimony was critical in securing a guilty verdict, but this was questioned by many who felt the supporting evidence too weak to justify conviction, and Hanratty's brother fought for decades to have the verdict overturned. Drain the heater and clean it. He believes that one of the other people was the murdered man's spurned wife, Janet Gregsten, who died recently, and at . After his release, his father resigned his job as dustman with Wembley council to start a window cleaning business with his son in a futile attempt to keep him away from crime. Still can't find what you're looking for? Alphon was recorded by PC Ian Thomson as saying "there can't have been any fingerprints in the car otherwise mine would have given me away". Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. No defence on the basis of mental history was raised at Hanrattys trial. Hanratty was initially buried in the grounds of Bedford Gaol, but, on 22 February 1966, his remains were exhumed and re-interred in a grave at Watford, later shared with his aunt.[22][23]. 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. They were ordered to drive to Deadman's Hill, where the attack took place. Want the latest Bedfordshire news direct to your inbox? I therefore have no fear of him. This standard of travel plan isnt good enough in the modern age. Valerie later wrote of it: "In times of trouble one could always go to one's MP and ask for, and possibly receive help and understanding. Mr Gregsten's companion, Valerie Storie, was raped, shot and left for dead. He was sent to Walton Prison, Liverpool, where he was again identified as a psychopath.[9]. The argument for contamination was dismissed as "fanciful" by the judges, who concluded that the "DNA evidence, standing alone, is certain proof of guilt".
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