Funding, Fibres & Phoebe Grant – Part 12©️

Phoebe Grant, who was actually Hannah Grant but preferred to be called by her middle name, was said to be Simon Hall’s girlfriend at the time of his arrest in July 2002.

Phoebe Grant met Simon Hall shortly before he committed murder through work and whilst he was in a relationship with Stephanie Bon, and also whilst he Simon was meeting up with other men and woman. On the day of Simon Hall’s arrest, Phoebe Grant told Suffolk police;

I needed another part-time job, so I made enquiries at the Old Rep Public House in Ipswich in November 2001, in order to do some part-time bar work. When I went into the pub I saw Jamie Barker who had the assistant managers job there. We exchanged mobile phone numbers to (sic) that we could carry on with our friendship. I got a job there as a barmaid, and was to work Friday, Saturday evening and all day Sundays. When I started at the pub, my current boyfriend Simon Hall already worked there behind the bar. He also worked there on a Friday and Saturday evening and possibly on a Wednesday and Thursday night as well, but that may have been to cover for sickness or staff absence

I became more friendly with Simon, we started ‘flirting’ and I thought he was nice. He had teased me that his name was ’Teddy’ when I had first worked with him. I can’t remember the exact date when I started working at the Old Rep but I do know that it was before Christmas 2001, possibly on the 8th December, a Saturday’. I do know that on the 22nd December, after I had worked there for a couple of weeks, some of the staff from the pub went on after we finished work to ‘Liquids Nightclub’ in Ipswich. I went, as did Jamie and Simon. There were other members of staff there too but as I didn’t know them very well I can’t recall their names. It was usual for members of the pub staff to go to Liquids after work on a Saturday night. Members of the pub staff could get into ’Liquids’ free if they showed their pub pay slips. In return, staff from Liquids would come into the ’Old Rep’ most weekends and put flyers round. On this night at ‘Liquids’ I got very friendly with Simon and he came back to my house in Gladstone Road afterwards. He went to collect his car, an Audi or an Escort the next morning about 7 or 8 am and found he had been given a parking ticket. He had left his car in the car park next to Brannigans pub. On Saturday 15th December 2001, the weekend before, I started work at about 7pm. I think Simon was working too and would have started at about the same time. Jamie Barker wasn’t working but I remember him being in the pub and I think he came in at about 8pm. He got a bit drunk as he had been celebrating a birthday and I remember him taking his top off at some stage and him being ’oiled up’. It wasn’t unusual for him to take his top off, though!

Excerpts from Phoebe (Hannah) Grant’s police witness statement dated 25th July 2002

Simon Hall did not work at the Old Rep public house on Saturday the 15th December 2001 and was in the Woolpack public house around the time Phoebe Grant believed him to have started work. Victoria, another woman Simon Hall met in the Woolpack pub on Saturday the 15th December 2001 stated;

While I was there I started talking to a man who introduced himself as ’Teddy’. He came up to me and asked me for my mobile telephone number which I gave to him

I went back to my group and did not speak to him again that night

We left the Woolpack at around 11pm that night after my mother picked us up and took us home. The next time I saw ’Teddy’ was on Thursday 10th January 2002 when I bumped into him at Liquids nightclub in Ipswich

After that occasion I saw him now and again and I last saw him when he came into Bolton stores, Bolton lane, Ipswich, where I was working

After that occasion I received a telephone call from him. He kept asking me if I was going to see him again. We had a normal conversation. This call was received about a week prior to his arrest

Excerpts from Victoria’s police witness statement dated 4th September 2002

Phoebe Grant also told police;

Simon has not behaved any differently since I have known him and I have not felt concerned about his demeanour in any way

Excerpt from Phoebe (Hannah) Grant’s police witness statement dated 25th July 2002

But Phoebe also stated;

I do remember at the end of December 2001, Simon didn’t come into work. I thought he had quit, I don’t know why he didn’t come to work and I have never asked him. I remember him coming in once when I was at work, he spoke to me, bought a drink and then went upstairs to the D.J. section. He left without speaking to me again. A couple of weeks later, he did come back to work at the Old Rep.

Excerpt from Phoebe (Hannah) Grant’s police witness statement dated 25th July 2002

Matthew W, who described Simon Hall as his ’best friend’ told police;

I know that Simon had stayed over 3 – 5 times from when I moved in as stated in my previous statement up until the weekend of the 7th/8th December 2001. I know this date because it is when I had a Saturday off from working

It was on that Saturday night (7-12-01)* that Simon Hall picked me up from my home in Bentley and took me to The Woolpack Pub in Ipswich where there was a karaoke on

It was on this night that Simon had arranged to meet a female friend who I did not know, at The Woolpack, and it was her that came back with Simon and I to my home at the converted garage in Bentley

Simon had picked me up in his works pool car, the white Citroen Saxo car

All I can remember about this girl was that she is white, about 19-20 years old

Simon and I took this girl back to Ipswich around 6am on the Sunday morning

Excerpts from Matthew W’s police witness statement dated 26th September 2002

*The 7th of December 2001 was a Friday, not a Saturday.

On the day of his arrest for his murder of Joan Albert, Simon Hall attempted to give Suffolk police the impression he had started ’going out’ with Phoebe Grant in January 2001 (See 1st Record of interview Page 30) and in his 2nd interview he appeared to attempt to reinforce this (See 2nd Record of interview page 4) but in reality this was not the case.

The day after Phoebe Grant made her first police witness statement, her friend Kelsey, who had ’moved into student digs’ with Phoebe on the 1st December 2001, told Suffolk police when she had first met Simon Hall and how he had ’faded into the background’ by early 2002. Kelsey stated;

Simon then faded into the background for a while then, until in about mid February 2002. I also got a part time job at The Old Rep PH in Ipswich, collecting glasses

It is there at The Old Rep, that Phoebe and Simon got back together again and Simon was working at the pub part time as well

I would describe Phoebe and Simon’s relationship as being initially ‘Firey’ but then steadying down to become stable and ’loving’ in recent time

I recall in late February or early March 2001* (sic) going with Simon alone in his Audi motor vehicle (index mark not known), to his parents home in Capel St Mary, Suffolk, to assist him in collecting some of his things to bring back to our digs. I recall commenting to him that Capel was a ’pretty’ village and it was at this time Simon told me that a friend of his mothers had recently been murdered nearby

Simon seemed genuinely sad by this. I do not remember anything else that was said about it

I do remember that Simon’s parents were away at the time and that he showed me his mothers rabbits which he said a neighbour was looking after

Excerpts from Kelsey’s police witness statement dated 26th July 2002
(*The year was 2002 not 2001)

But Phoebe Grant only learned of Joan Albert having been murdered in May 2002, after apparently being told about this by Simon Hall’s adoptive mother Lynne Hall. Phoebe stated;

I was not aware of the murder of Joan Albert until about May of this year. We were at Simon’s parents home in Capel St Mary and his mother, Lynn Hall started to talk about Mrs Albert’s dog, that she looked after. It seems she had been good friends with Mrs Albert and saw her or spoke to her several times a day. I don’t think Simon knew her very well. I don’t think he had been to her house other than to put a letter or Christmas card through her letterbox

Excerpt from Phoebe (Hannah) Grant’s police witness statement dated 25th July 2002

Phoebe Grant also told the police;

I would describe our relationship as excellent, we are best friends, we spend a lot of time together and get on very well

Simon has had his fair share of problems in the past, but he has tried very hard to make thongs work. He has never been violent to me and although we have had ’squabbles’ like any couple, he has never lost his temper with me or anyone else in particular

Roger Grant, Phoebe Grant’s father, in contrast to the father of a previous girlfriend of Simon Hall’s, told Suffolk police;

Sometime in February and March this year 2002 I met Simon Hall who was seeing my daughter Phoebe and as a result Simon visited our house on several occasions and a couple of times stayed for the weekend. I first met Simon at Gladstone Road Ipswich where Phoebe was staying at a students house

As a result of my job I did not get to know Simon as much as my wife

My conversations with Simon were of several subjects one of which was to do with decking at the end of the garden which runs along the river where we lived. We talked about cars etc. He has mowed the grass and wash (sic) the cars without me asking and also advised me concerning purchase of a stereo unit

As far as I am concerned I found Simon to be polite, charming amicable young man who did not ever swear and also assisted my household to clear up after dinner

He was obviously keen on Phoebe and I know that they are very much in love and eventually will be together

Simon has never given me any cause for concern at all

I would have him in my house at any time and trust him implicitly

Excerpts from Roger Grant’s police witness statement 1st October 2002

According to Phoebe Grant, she and Simon Hall moved into Hill House Road in Ipswich on the 17th May 2002.

Link to Part 12a here