He was found guilty for the murder of a 36 year old scientist Michael Gregsten in August 22nd 1961. 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. 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. Storie and Gregsten pleaded with him not to shoot them. 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.'. [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. 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. 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. 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 The police issued an appeal to boarding-house keepers to report any unusual or suspicious guests. 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. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right." Police handout, showing James Hanratty in police custody, Lennon and Ono protest Hanratty's execution. [27] Justice encouraged the initially reluctant Fox to help him expose what he believed to be the fabrication of the case against Hanratty. 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." 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. This image could have imperfections as its either historical or reportage. 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. Find Janet Gregsten stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. But when Michael reached for the bag Hanratty shot him twice in the head, killing him instantly. The initial prime suspects were Hanratty, a petty criminal, and Peter Louis Alphon, an eccentric drifter. Collect, curate and comment on your files. "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.". But tonight, they were talking. 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. FACTFILE 22nd August 1961, Michael Gregsten and his mistress Valerie Storie, were sitting in his car in a field, they were hijacked by a man with a gun, the man made them drive around for hours, eventually ending up at Deadmans Hill on the A6 just outside Clophill, Bedfordshire. He argued that the evidence may have been contaminated because of lax handling procedures.[34][40]. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. 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. Woman left with serious injuries after dog attack on residential road in Luton. 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. They had never been disturbed before and it was easier to talk here rather than anywhere else. I had found the guilty person. 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. In August 1961, 22-year-old Valerie Storie and 36-year-old Michael Gregsten were the victims of James Hanratty in the notorious 'A6 Murder'. map Storie drank gin and Pepsi, Gregsten had Double Diamond. 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". With the gun still pointing at them, the man said, I have been on the run for four months. [1] 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. Collaborate with our global Enterprise Sales team. 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. He was struck by how calm and measured she was throughout the whole ordeal. 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 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 gunman replied that Gregsten had frightened him by turning too quickly. [citation needed]. Alphon resembled the Identikit pictures more than Hanratty did; Alphon never produced a convincing alibi; He provided a more credible motive than Hanratty could; He was a poor driver, as witnesses had seen the Morris Minor being driven erratically towards Redbridge Station; On 22 March 1967, Detective Superintendent Douglas Nimmo reported to, On 29 May 1996, Detective Chief Superintendent Roger Matthews reported to Home Secretary. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Michael J. Gregsten, mmn = Oulet, GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1962 4a 7 AMPTHILL. Captions are provided by our contributors. Among the prosecution team at the trial was Geoffrey Lane, who was subsequently appointed Lord Chief Justice. Signing up to the newsletter is simple. 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. We'll also send you alerts about important breaking news. , updated Shortly after his discharge, Hanratty left home for Brighton, where he obtained casual work with a road haulier. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images After climbing into the car's back seat, he ordered Gregsten to drive. [45][46], This article is about the 1961 murder on the A6 road in England. Select from premium Janet Gregsten of the highest quality. 341,587,075 stock photos, 360 panoramic images, vectors and videos, Share Alamy images with your team and customers. At Deadman's Hill the man ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by. Detectives and tracker dogs have spent the day searching the surrounding area and so far two cartridges have been found. 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. This should have been the end of the matter, but for the rest of her life Valerie was hounded by the media, campaign groups and celebrities including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who insisted Hanratty was innocent. 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. 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. She said: 'They have built their case on this myth and it has grown to become pure folklore. James Hanratty denied shooting Michael Gregsten, a physicist, twice in the head last August. Hanratty said he had called into a sweetshop in Scotland Road and asked directions to 'Carleton' or 'Tarleton' Road. Believing that he had killed her, Hanratty drove south in the direction of Luton. Try to reignite the pilot light. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Miraculously, Valerie survived, but was left paralysed from the chest down for the rest of her life. Make an enquiry and our team will be get in touch with you ASAP. Hanratty would be convicted after a trial lasting almost four weeks but his execution marked the beginning of a forty-year journey of cries of a miscarriage of justice, media frenzies, legal arguments, criticism of the police, a referral to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and finally a Court of Appeal ruling in 2002 when DNA evidence would finally put an end to the furore; he was indeed guilty. For over thirty five years one person remained silent. On 11 October, Hanratty was arrested by police in Blackpool, at the Stevonia cafe. [35] The Court of Appeal did not have the power to order an exhumation of Hanratty's body, but Lord Chief Justice Harry Woolf decided that this was desirable "in the interests of justice". 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. DNA samples from both sources exactly matched James Hanratty's DNA. Their relationship started over a mutual love of car . After Hanratty received a unanimous verdict of guilty in court, a petition arguing his innocence was signed by 90,000 people, but an appeal was dismissed. With the gun was a handkerchief which provided DNA evidence many years later. Alphon was the son of a senior figure at Scotland Yard. .. E-mail this story to a friend Watch/Listen Detectives search the murder scene Man finds A6. [34] However, he admitted that, if contamination could be excluded, the DNA evidence demonstrated that James Hanratty had committed the murder and rape. At that time there was no conclusive forensic evidence to connect Hanratty with the car or the murder scene. In October 2000, the Court of Appeal ordered the exhumation of Hanratty's body. On the evening of August 22, 1961, a car containing lovers Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie, was parked by a field near . 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. House-to-house inquiries have also been carried out. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. Hanratty's appeal was dismissed on 13 March, and despite a petition signed by more than 90,000 people, Hanratty was hanged by executioner Harry Allen at Bedford on 4 April 1962, still protesting his innocence. All rights reserved. [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. Historical-Meal-5525 2 yr. ago. 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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. Gregsten at first refused, but the man became aggressive and threatened them with the gun. They drove via London Heathrow Airport, up through the Middlesex suburbs, on to the A5 and then on to the A6 to Clophill, Bedfordshire. Forensic science and the case of James Hanratty, England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions. 22:52, 05 Apr 2022. "Im a desperate man. Even Valerie's own Member of Parliament, Joan Lestor, insisted Hanratty was innocent. 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. No defence on the basis of mental history was raised at Hanrattys trial. You don't want it to be blown out. It was not yet dark, but twilight had set in and visibility was not perfect. After vainly screaming and waving her petticoat to attract the attention of passing motorists, Storie lost consciousness. A strong, disabled woman's story. She retreated into her own world, while at the same time listening, watching and making notes of what was being said.". His last words to his family were "Mick, I am completely innocent. 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. In essence its her posthumous autobiography.". In police line-ups, Storie did not recognise Alphon, but eventually identified Hanratty. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 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. Forensic science and the case of James Hanratty Roger Lewis, Pseudocide New Spotify exclusive podcast from Casefile Presents, ShipStation Try ShipStation FREE for 60 days with promo code CASEFILE, Best Fiends Download Best Fiends for free, Imperfect Foods Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order with offer code CASEFILE20. I repeat that James Hanratty was guilty of the crime for which he was hanged. Michael Gregsten is a 36-year-old research scientist at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough. Of approximately seven bullets fired, five hit Storie; she fell to the ground next to Gregsten and played dead. Show all articles. All you have to do is to click here and type in your email address. "Valerie has worked at the laboratory since she left school five years ago and she has known Michael for a long time.". As a result of these facts, after the A6 murder, Valerie was often unfairly characterised as a "loose woman". 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. They took with them maps and other things to organise a car rally being held at their office this weekend. [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. Private detectives tracked down a Mrs Grace Jones, a landlady with a guest house which had a green bath in the attic as described by Hanratty. Michael wound down his window, only halfway, when a gun was thrust through the gap, its muzzle pointing directly at them. 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. 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. Gregsten had been hit twice in the head and died instantly. Storie screamed, "You bastard! 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. Michael Gregsten, was shot dead in a car on the A6 in Bedfordshire in August 1961, but Hanratty claimed to be in North Wales resort . 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. The man got into the back of the car and told Gregsten to drive further into the field, then stop. After six hours they returned to ask the judge for the definition of 'reasonable doubt'. Two civil servants employed at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie, drew up in a Morris Minor car outside the Old Station Inn, a public house just outside the village of Taplow. 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. Were they to marry? [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. A brown, check car rug was spread out; another small, personalised feature of the rallying Morris. 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. Valerie hid pound notes in her bra to stop Hanratty from taking them. But in May 2002 the Court of Appeal ruled that the DNA evidence had established his guilt "beyond doubt". The Police tracked down a Mrs Dinwoodie, who served in a sweetshop in Scotland Road, and who recalled a man like Hanratty asking for directions. Although Gregsten and Storie offered to give him all their money and the car, the man appeared to have no plan and seemed to want them to stay with him. The Long Silenceis, in essence, Valeries posthumous autobiography, explaining for the first time every explicit detail of the cat and mouse drive, as Michael and Valerie tried on over twenty occasions to deter and thwart the apparently indecisive Hanratty. 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.

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