As always you can unsubscribe at any time. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs. Janet Gregston with her two sons Anthony 3 and Simon (9) 1961. [31] Woffinden wrote that there is no evidence that the witnesses even saw the same Morris Minor. 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. At 11.30pm, the man said he wanted food, and told Gregsten to start driving. I know that because I was there. With the gun was a handkerchief which provided DNA evidence many years later. 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! [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. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. The pair had been intimate for two years after meeting through work, and seemingly had spoken about marriage. Valentine's Day collision leaves moped rider with 'life-changing' injuries. 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 stayed in a room the night before the crime from which bullets that had been fired from the murder weapon were recovered. Pre-pay for multiple images and download on demand. They were confronted by a man with a gun. 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. 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. For pouch chewers, reach down in the bottom of the pouch, where the tobacco is moist, and grab a small handful. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. Want the latest Bedfordshire news direct to your inbox? 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]. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images The suspect falsely identified himself as 'Frederick Durrant'; he was actually Peter Louis Alphon, a drifter surviving on an inheritance and the proceeds of gambling. I could not ever relax.". By the age of 11 he had been declared ineducable at St James Catholic High School, Burnt Oak, Barnet, although his parents steadfastly refused to accept he was in any way mentally deficient and successfully resisted attempts to have him placed in a special school. map Storie drank gin and Pepsi, Gregsten had Double Diamond. 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. 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. The man got into the back of the car and told Gregsten to drive further into the field, then stop. Was a married man, he and his wife Janet had two boys, Simon, eight, and Anthony, nearly two. Hanratty was convicted of the murder in 1962 and sentenced to death. I therefore have no fear of him. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Yet in spite of this, Valerie kept her silence, Paul explained. This would be of no interest except for possibly the oddest coincidence in the case. Search above
Justice took the precaution of making thorough notes, and recording all telephone conversations with Alphon. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. The sudden intrusion did not seem real. After her retirement she remained an active member of her community, giving presentations on family history and helping to establish a minibus service in her hometown of Slough. Transferred briefly to Durham Prison, he was returned to Strangeways where, having served his full term, he was released in March 1961, aged 24. His wife, Maureen Hanratty, said the family had been 'put through hell' because of the behaviour of the authorities. Journalists such as Paul Foot and Bob Woffinden campaigned for years to prove Hanratty's innocence, casting doubt on Valerie's evidence. "Valerie has worked at the laboratory since she left school five years ago and she has known Michael for a long time.". This is a hold-up," a mans voice said. The gunman then made to leave but suddenly turned back and shot Valerie several times, with five bullets hitting her. During the 60 mile journey, Michael and Valerie made 22 separate attempts to escape or frustrate the driver. First sergeant epr bullets june 30, 2022 | | 0 comment | 2:40 pm. And when she was found the following morning she was able to give a hugely detailed description of what happened. Justice attended the trial every day, being driven there by his chauffeur, and Alphon accompanied him from time to time. October 11th, 1961, James Hanratty was arrested for murder and rape. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. Gregsten at first refused, but the man became aggressive and threatened them with the gun. When Paul was handed what he calls the 'Storie papers', made up of her own notes on that fateful night as well as police tapes, he decided her story needed to be told. She identified Hanratty from a lineup and testified at his trial. 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. 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. Believing that he had killed her, Hanratty drove south in the direction of Luton. It was full of her personal effects including her handbag, a wallet and a purse, a few pound notes and coins pushed inside them. I repeat that James Hanratty was guilty of the crime for which he was hanged. During the incident, the victim was kicked in the back and suffered minor injuries. It's best to encompass . [citation needed] She remembered a man resembling Hanratty, and at first said he stayed there during the week of 1926 August but later said she couldnt really remember what week he did stay. Collaborate with our global Enterprise Sales team. [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. We choose the most important stories of the day to include in the email, including crime, court news, long reads, traffic and travel, food and drink articles and more. 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. 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. Valerie and Lennon never met, but in 2001 she said: "I felt it was very ironic that he himself died by the bullet and it flashed through my mind that when the news came through that John Lennon had been shot and killed, I felt, well now John Lennon, you know what it feels like to be shot.". 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. 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. 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. 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. Miraculously, Valerie survived, but was left paralysed from the chest down for the rest of her life. His last words to his family were "Mick, I am completely innocent. The man tied Storie's hands behind her back with Gregsten's tie and then saw a duffle bag containing some clean clothing. The Criminal Cases Review Commission announced yesterday that the case of. It was about 1954 that Hanratty became attracted to Soho, where he frequented various clubs and other haunts of the criminal underworld. He said: "Whenever journalists came to her asking to tell her story she said no, as they'd misrepresent her. He believes that one of the other people was the murdered man's spurned wife, Janet Gregsten, who died recently, and at . Neutral Citation Number: [2002] Crim 1141", "James Hanratty: Close to a final verdict? Storie and Gregsten pleaded with him not to shoot them. He told Gregsten to pass the bag but, as Gregsten moved, there were two shots. Within a few days, the defence had checked and assembled a new alibi for Hanratty. 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 . 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. Free shipping for many products! For over thirty five years one person remained silent. The police then took the unusual step of publicly naming Alphon as the murder suspect. 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. Still can't find what you're looking for? land for sale in highgate, st mary jamaica . Case 173: Rocio Wanninkhof & Sonia Carabantes, Tributes pour in for Sloughs brave Valerie Storie. He ordered them to drive to . Mr Stickler said: 'She was absolutely measured and calm and wholly consistent from minute one to the very end. They had finished the planning for the weekends rally, Valeries maps folded away in her shopping basket. 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). After vainly screaming and waving her petticoat to attract the attention of passing motorists, Storie lost consciousness. They covered about 30 miles before the gunman ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by on the A6 at Clophill at around 01 . She identified James Hanratty as her attacker during an identity parade. Shortly after his discharge, Hanratty left home for Brighton, where he obtained casual work with a road haulier. Find the right content for your market. They had never been disturbed before and it was easier to talk here rather than anywhere else. With some justification it seemed, since Michael had a tendency to spend willingly rather than save. 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. The gunman ordered Gregsten to drive in several directions, before stopping beside the A6 at Deadman's Hill, where the offences took place. 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. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right.'. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries.
Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. But in May 2002 the Court of Appeal ruled that the DNA evidence had established his guilt "beyond doubt". 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. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Hanratty also raped Gregsten's fiance, Valerie Storie, shot her five times and left her for dead. Lying next to Gregsten, semi-conscious, was Gregsten's mistress, Valerie Jean Storie (24 November 1938 26 March 2016). The pair tracked down Peter Alphon in February 1962, and began a long friendship with him for the purposes of establishing the truth. The James Hanratty case is perhaps Bedfordshire's most notorious murder. Among the prosecution team at the trial was Geoffrey Lane, who was subsequently appointed Lord Chief Justice. None of it made sense. Jet tila michael voltaggio and defending champion and last seasons winner brooke williamson.
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