Collaborate with our global Enterprise Sales team. The pair had been intimate for two years after meeting through work, and seemingly had spoken about marriage. 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. Peter Alphon died in January 2009 after a fall at his home. The report made there acknowledged his unhappy home background (he claimed he was frightened of his mother and had no filial feelings towards his father) and his mental handicaps. It also tells the true story of Valerie's complicated relationship with 36-year-old Michael. .. They had finished the planning for the weekends rally, Valeries maps folded away in her shopping basket. 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. The campaign got even more attention when Beatle John Lennon, and his partner, Yoko Ono, joined the campaign. '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. 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. , updated 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. On 11 October, Hanratty was arrested by police in Blackpool, at the Stevonia cafe. 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). The gunman ordered Gregsten to drive in several directions, before stopping beside the A6 at Deadman's Hill, where the offences took place. Get in touch for any commercial. Twice he told Gregsten to turn off the road and then changed his mind, and the car returned to the A6. When Michael rolled down the window, Hanratty thrust a large black revolver into his face and said: 'This is a hold-up, I am a desperate man, I have been on the run for four months. 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. He then stated that he had in fact been in the Welsh coastal town of Rhyl. She identified James Hanratty as her attacker during an identity parade. [27] Justice encouraged the initially reluctant Fox to help him expose what he believed to be the fabrication of the case against Hanratty. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [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. 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. However, as Paul's book reveals, these words were a mask for her true feelings. E-mail this story to a friend Watch/Listen Detectives search the murder scene Man finds A6. They compared his DNA to that found on Valerie's underwear and the handkerchief in which the murder weapon had been contained, and found a conclusive match. Paul Stickler's book is available on Amazon here. 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 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. He certainly didn't know what he alleged that Mrs Gregsten was the prime mover in commissioning the murder. After climbing into the car's back seat, he ordered Gregsten to drive. After nine hours, they returned to the court and entered a unanimous verdict of guilty. The man tied Storie's hands behind her back with Gregsten's tie and then saw a duffle bag containing some clean clothing. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. Captions are provided by our contributors. Pre-pay for multiple images and download on demand. The following extract describes the moments leading up to the events on that fateful nightin August 1961 that turned her life upside down Valeries shopping basket rested on the back seat. 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. [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. That's basically taking the rest of his brothers life with him, since he knew he wouldn't be cleared. Signing up to the newsletter is simple. The Long Silence, published in August 2021, is the first book to explain in detail the 'cat and mouse' drive and it has been heralded by many as a much overdue account. He told Gregsten to pass the bag but, as Gregsten moved, there were two shots. All of this money was anonymously donated to Slough Mobility Transport for the purchase of two new vehicles, one of which was named 'Valerie'. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs. Janet Gregston with her two sons Anthony 3 and Simon (9) 1961. But then the other suspect, Peter Alphon, publicly confesses to the crime. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. Within a few days, the defence had checked and assembled a new alibi for Hanratty. 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. circa 1962. In police line-ups, Storie did not recognise Alphon, but eventually identified Hanratty. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. 2022 Casefile True Crime Podcast. [citation needed]. 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! According to this, Hanratty had gone to Rhyl to sell a stolen watch to a 'fence', arriving there in the evening of Tuesday 22 August and staying in a boarding house near the railway line. FBiH - Konkursi za turistike vodie i voditelje putnike agencije. At 11.30pm, the man said he wanted food, and told Gregsten to start driving. 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. [24] The Committee attempted to assist Hanratty in his defence, and later tried to disprove his conviction. According to Storie, the couple were abducted at gunpoint in their car at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire, by a man with a Cockney accent and mannerisms matching Hanratty's. Hanratty said he had called into a sweetshop in Scotland Road and asked directions to 'Carleton' or 'Tarleton' Road. [citation needed] Storie gave another statement to the police later that morning, just before she underwent surgery in Bedford Hospital. They drove around the suburbs of North London, apparently aimlessly. Michael gregsten wife / june 11, 2022 june 11, 2022 / were achilles and patroclus cousins. 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.'. Gregsten at first refused, but the man became aggressive and threatened them with the gun. "If anyone doesn't want to be punished then they, surely, don't commit the crime. It was clear he either had not driven before, or was unfamiliar with a Morris Minor. Show all articles. Was James Hanratty Guilty or Innocent? Search above No defence on the basis of mental history was raised at Hanrattys trial. 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". 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. Still can't find what you're looking for? Hanratty found a job there driving a mechanical shovel for the company of Green Brothers, which made breeze blocks, and remained with the firm for three years. Make an enquiry and our team will be get in touch with you ASAP. 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. I looked in his eyes and he looked in mine. Valerie criticised the journalists who campaigned to prove Hanratty's innocence in an interview with the Mail on Sunday in 2002. 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. During the 60 mile journey, Michael and Valerie made 22 separate attempts to escape or frustrate the driver. 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. Collect, curate and comment on your files. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs. Janet Gregston with her two sons Anthony 3 and Simon (9) 1961. 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]. 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. In October 2000, the Court of Appeal ordered the exhumation of Hanratty's body. He believes that one of the other people was the murdered man's spurned wife, Janet Gregsten, who died recently, and at . My evidence has never changed, neither have I ever had any doubts. After ignoring her pleas to shoot her as well, or let her get help for Gregsten, the gunman told her to kiss him. Michaels duffel bag containing freshly laundered clothing rested next to it. ", Planned school expansion will cause 'traffic chaos', councillor claims, Councillor Victoria Harvey warned: This council is failing on travel plans. [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. 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. 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. By the time of his arrest for the murder of Michael Gregsten, Hanratty had already accumulated four convictions for motoring offences and housebreaking. Neutral Citation Number (2002) Crim 1141, 'Musing about The A6 Bedfordshire murder', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Hanratty&oldid=1135732016. I knew who he was and he knew that I recognised him. [31] Woffinden wrote that there is no evidence that the witnesses even saw the same Morris Minor. The unit should also be connected correctly to the power source. 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. Was a married man, he and his wife Janet had two boys, Simon, eight, and Anthony, nearly two. 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. Michael Gregsten is a 36-year-old research scientist at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough. He stayed in a room the night before the crime from which bullets that had been fired from the murder weapon were recovered. (just round the corner from the authors house). Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. "Im a desperate man. Valerie Storie survived the shooting but was left paralysed and wheelchair-bound. He started to bombard his own solicitor with threatening phone calls and letters. "[25], The journalist and campaigner Ludovic Kennedy wrote many articles asserting Hanratty's innocence. michael gregsten wife / June 11, 2022 June 11, 2022 / were achilles and patroclus cousins /. But when Michael reached for the bag Hanratty shot him twice in the head, killing him instantly. However, what isn't well known is Valerie's side of the story. 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. 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. [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. Hi, It's truly a crying shame that all the postings on this fascinating forum have been lost, seemingly for ever. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. His last words to his family were "Mick, I am completely innocent. It's best to encompass . Was Michael actually going to leave his wife and two boys? At that time there was no conclusive forensic evidence to connect Hanratty with the car or the murder scene. Bedfordshire Police is appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage. [citation needed]. Paul's book describes the events in great detail of the night in illuminating detail, based on Valerie's accounts. 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. Look after mum and dad. They took with them maps and other things to organise a car rally being held at their office this weekend. 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. Storie screamed, "You bastard! 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. My wife and i were driving a neigborhood looking for houses, and came accross a for sale sign with a phone number. Hanratty put a cloth over Michael's bloodied head before raping Valerie on the back seat of the car. Michael was 14 years older than her and married with two children, though he was in the process of separating from his wife. 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.
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