On 11 October, Hanratty was arrested by police in Blackpool, at the Stevonia cafe. According to Alphon, a man had paid him a sum of 5,000 to end the affair between Gregsten and Storie. One dog was subsequently put to sleep due the severity of it's injuries. However, as Paul's book reveals, these words were a mask for her true feelings. He certainly didn't know what he alleged that Mrs Gregsten was the prime mover in commissioning the murder. 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. Next, use the -inch open-end wrench and pull out the thermistor by turning it counter-clockwise. I do this act in the knowledge that it will clear my family's character of any act or wrong'. Valerie hid pound notes in her bra to stop Hanratty from taking them. [15][16] Storie, an only child, lived with her parents in Cippenham, a suburb of Slough. The gunman got out of the car and approached her; pleading for her life, she took a pound note from her pocket, screaming, "Here, take this, take the car and go." 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. Hanratty telephoned Scotland Yard several times, saying he had fled because he had no credible alibi for the date in question, but repeated each time that he had nothing to do with the A6 murder. 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. Despite this, Michael was having an affair with his 22-year-old lab assistant, Valerie Storie. Valerie Storie survived the shooting but was left paralysed and wheelchair-bound. 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. 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. Why did you shoot him?" As a result of these facts, after the A6 murder, Valerie was often unfairly characterised as a "loose woman". 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. No DNA other than Hanratty's was found on the handkerchief in which the murder weapon had been found wrapped. RM ID: B5E30P Preview Image details Contributor: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo File size: 30 MB (1.3 MB Compressed download) Releases: Michael Gregsten's widow later went on to have an affair with her brother in law William Ewer, who left his wife. 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]. The car Gregsten and Storie had been using at the time of the attack, a grey four-door 1956 Morris Minor registration 847BHN, was found abandoned behind Redbridge tube station in Essex later that evening. Storie then left the car and returned to sit beside Gregsten's body. Author Paul Stickler said: 'This is a story that really does need to be told and it's not been told in the way that it should be before now. "The book tells the story of what happened that night and how she dealt with it in the years that followed. 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. She told them: "I have never had a problem with the truth. The hotel manager, William Nudds, made a statement to police naming the last occupant of the room as 'James Ryan'. James Hanratty was later tried, convicted and executed for the murder of Michael John Gregsten on the A6 road. [17], Late in the evening of Tuesday, 22 August 1961, Valerie Storie was sitting alongside Gregsten in his car in a cornfield at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire. I would ask you now to respect my wish to be left in piece.". His reason for lying was that he had seen that Alphon was the police's prime suspect, and had wanted to assist their case. 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. Jamal Edwards, a music producer and entrepreneur, died suddenly in February 2022. 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]. Valerie Storie after receiving treatment for stab wounds on the A6 where Michael Gregsten was murdered is taken to court during trial against James. They took with them maps and other things to organise a car rally being held at their office this weekend. In 2002 Valerie was finally vindicated when DNA evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that Hanratty was guilty. Search above [8] Gregsten had separated from his wife Janet (d. 1995[13][14]) who lived with their two children at Abbots Langley. I therefore have no fear of him. Shortly after his discharge, Hanratty left home for Brighton, where he obtained casual work with a road haulier. House-to-house inquiries have also been carried out. They were, though, generally relaxed talking in their cornfield. Paul Foot and some other campaigners argued elsewhere that the DNA evidence could have been contaminated, in view of the fact that the small DNA samples from items of clothing, kept in a police laboratory for over 40 years in conditions that, as they argue, "do not satisfy modern evidential standards", had to be subjected to amplification techniques to yield any genetic profile. 2023 Getty Images. 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. "They then left at about 7.30pm in a grey Morris car which I understood belonged to Michael's mother. Something went wrong, please try again later. After a failed escape attempt, Hanratty was transferred to Camp Hill Prison, Isle of Wight. Enter your email address below to get the latest news and exclusive content from The History Press delivered straight to your inbox. (Known as the 'A6 Murderer' Known for Killing Scientist 'Michael Gregsten') 3 3 Birthdate: October 4, 1936 Sun Sign: Libra Birthplace: Bromley, Kent, England Died: April 4, 1962 Better known as the A6 Murderer, James Hanratty was one of the last people to be executed before capital punishment was abolished. ease arkansas phone number [34][37][39], At the appeal hearing in 2002, Michael Mansfield QC, the barrister acting for the Hanratty family, said that a vial, among surviving evidential items, had been broken which could account for contamination. He leaves two sons, aged seven and two. Satisfied he had killed her, the gunman drove off southward with much crashing of gears, in the direction of Luton. [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. He was then buried in the grounds of Bedford Gaol. 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. After some investigation, 'Ryan' turned out to be James Hanratty, a 25-year-old petty criminal with four convictions for car theft, larceny and burglary. The man got into the back of the car and told Gregsten to drive further into the field, then stop. They drove around the suburbs of North London, apparently aimlessly. Sign up here. 'There's a very powerful human story in this. I know that because I was there. A BBC Panorama episode in 1966 included extracts from the Jean Justice tapes. 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. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right.'. [35], James Hanratty's body was exhumed in 2001 to extract his DNA. This would be of no interest except for possibly the oddest coincidence in the case. This standard of travel plan isnt good enough in the modern age. Collect, curate and comment on your files. When this evidence went to court in 2002, proving Hanratty's guilt beyond any doubt, reporters once again hounded Valerie to speak. On 29 August, Valerie Storie and another witness, Edward Blackhall, who had seen the driver of the Morris Minor, compiled an Identikit picture which was then released. 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. After six hours they returned to ask the judge for the definition of 'reasonable doubt'. Another man obtained a gun for Alphon, whereupon he set off and hijacked the pair. The following month Richard Ingrams, a close friend and colleague of Paul Foot, wrote a brief article about Alphon's part in the case in The Independent. Captions are provided by our contributors. '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. . Not so much lying to avoid the death sentence, but putting the burden of clearing his name on his brother, even AFTER his death, makes him the worst type of criminal. [24] The Committee attempted to assist Hanratty in his defence, and later tried to disprove his conviction. 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 In the 'Storie papers' is a script containing her stronger feelings on the matter. [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". Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. It was full of her personal effects including her handbag, a wallet and a purse, a few pound notes and coins pushed inside them. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. He explained: "I felt the story had been misrepresented and needed a retelling from a fresh perspective. ", Planned school expansion will cause 'traffic chaos', councillor claims, Councillor Victoria Harvey warned: This council is failing on travel plans. On the evening of August 22, 1961, lovers Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were parked by a field near Slough. Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. how to save a picture on laptop without mouse. [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. [43][44][citation needed], Valerie Storie died on 26 March 2016 aged 77 in the Cippenham house where she had been born. The Court concludes that this number of alleged coincidences mean that they are not coincidences but provide overwhelming proof of the safety of the conviction from an evidential perspective. Hi, It's truly a crying shame that all the postings on this fascinating forum have been lost, seemingly for ever. 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. 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. ", "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? 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. At about 1.30am on Wednesday 23 August, the car was on the A6, travelling south, when the man said he wanted a 'kip' (sleep). [citation needed]. Was a married man, he and his wife Janet had two boys, Simon, eight, and Anthony, nearly two. 1945: Ex-soldier buried his wife on Anglesey beach after . Bedfordshire Live spoke to Paul about the newly-released book, which is titled The Long Silence - just as Valerie had intended. .. [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. She was taken to hospital in Bedford where she underwent surgery for her injuries. Storie and Gregsten pleaded with him not to shoot them. It was clear he either had not driven before, or was unfamiliar with a Morris Minor. The gunman then made to leave but suddenly turned back and shot Valerie several times, with five bullets hitting her. Inside a parked Morris Minor was a 36-year-old scientist, Michael Gregsten, and his 22-year-old girlfriend, Valerie Storie. Clear my name.". All of this money was anonymously donated to Slough Mobility Transport for the purchase of two new vehicles, one of which was named 'Valerie'. 22:52, 05 Apr 2022. Or did Scotland Yard have the right man all along? 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. This is a hold-up," a mans voice said. 2022 Casefile True Crime Podcast. In 1999 the case was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). At 11.30pm, the man said he wanted food, and told Gregsten to start driving. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. During the 60 mile journey, Michael and Valerie made 22 separate attempts to escape or frustrate the driver. Following her death, author Paul Stickler was handed Valerie's extensive notes and files, allowing her story to finally be told. In police line-ups, Storie did not recognise Alphon, but eventually identified Hanratty. ', 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. [citation needed] Hanratty's defence claimed that Mrs Dinwoodie was mistaken about the date. 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. Michael was 14 years older than her and married with two children, though he was in the process of separating from his wife. 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. [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. The initial prime suspects were Hanratty, a petty criminal, and Peter Louis Alphon, an eccentric drifter. [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. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. 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. Justice attended the trial every day, being driven there by his chauffeur, and Alphon accompanied him from time to time.
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