Controlling the Narrative – Part 14©️ 

All media articles from around the time Simon Hall chose to murder Joan Albert on Sunday the 16th December 2001, to date, are not accurate and there are no media articles in existence which are reflective of the actual facts of the subsequent police investigation, Simon Hall’s personality, his behaviours and background, the Hall families dynamics, personalities, behaviour’s and backgrounds, the February 2003 murder trial, the Hall families concoctions and behaviours following Simon Hall’s murder of Joan Albert, or indeed the fraudulent public relations campaign which followed on – for around 11 and a half years.

In May 2002, whilst Simon Hall was still at large, the Evening Star newspaper published an article headed OAP’s killer being shielded say police. Detective Constable (DC) John Grant, who was the exhibit’s officer for Operation Magdala, the name given to the police investigation into the December 2001 murder, was quoted as stating;

We have all got theories on what went on. For a start it was an unusual house to target for a burglary because it was in the middle of an estate

DC John Grant

The mythical stories and false, misleading and concocted narratives which were publicly circulated from the time Joan Albert’s body was found, were then exacerbated by the fact lawyers who worked for the crown prosecution service (CPS), and who had the burden of proving their case to the jury during Simon Hall’s trial were either intellectually dishonest, intellectually lazy, a combination of the two or there was another reason why they chose to present the false and misleading motive to Simon Hall’s murder as a burglary gone wrong, as opposed a sexually motivated murder, as the crime scene suggested and to which DC John Grant seemingly hinted at in May 2002.

Excerpts from the prosecutions closing speech from Simon Hall’s February 2003 trial (A copy of which has been published here and is worth reading in full) read;

Now Simon Hall was wrong in our submission when he said that this case is all about those fibres. True it is that the finding of fibres is central to the prosecution case and of course without them there would be no case. But it doesn’t rest simply on your assessment and your decision based on those fibres in Mrs Cunnison’s evidence. No it does not. In fact I’ll go so far as to say this, the prosecution now have more evidence in this case for you to consider than we could ever possibly imagined we were going to have when I stood up to open it to you to outline it to you in other words just over a fortnight ago.

Now members of the jury we did not know nor indeed could we know that Simon Hall’s case was to develop well beyond what he had ever said before. More particularly during the course of long detailed sensible interviews concluded by police officers in the presence of his solicitor throughout.

We did not know that his defence would include some material, and I’m going to say this, I’ll use the word deliberately and explain to you why I say it in a moment. We couldn’t know that his case was going to involve material, which has been concocted. Made up. If you find it so to be you’ll have to ask yourselves the question why has it.

Because concocted means deliberate and dishonest. To be woven into the general framework of the case, the general framework of his movements on that particular weekend of his lifestyle and those of his family generally.

It is a serious submission that I make to you. That Simon Hall aided by members of his family his rehearsed story, which they know in important parts not to be true. He’s done it for an obvious reason the Crown say to escape proper justice. To stave a conviction for murder.

Others in his family have done it for a perfectly understandable reason, wrong though it is in the result. Perfectly understandable isn’t it? Mrs Hall said as you would have expected to, they can’t she can’t begin to believe that he Simon could do the thing which he is accused of. And I’ll add to that what mother could?

Excerpts from the prosecutions closing speech by Graham Parkin starting at the bottom of page 16 continuing onto page 17 here

Anne Rafferty, the judge who presided over Simon Hall’s trial, seemingly gave the jury the impression during her summing up (Which can be found on page 44 H) that Simon Hall’s relationship with Phoebe Grant was exclusive around the time of his murder of Joan Albert but during this time Simon Hall was also in a relationship with Stephanie Bon and also seeing other women and men.

Stephanie Bon (Referred to in Part 2 of Quite A Hall Tale here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, Part 7 here, Part 9 here, Part 9a here, Part 9b here and Part 10a here, Part 11 here, Part 12 here, Part 12a here) was not called to give evidence during Simon Hall’s February 2003 trial.

Below is an excerpt from Anne Rafferty’s summing up to the jury;

On the 22nd December he met Phoebe Grant and by January they were in a relationship. She then lived in students’ accommodation in Gladstone Road and he began to spend nights there. Moving all his clothes there until there moved in May 2002 to 25 Hill House Road. He moved all his clothes there save for the leather jacket. This had been a Christmas present from his father in an earlier year and the sleeves on the not inexpensive three quarter length coat were thought by Simon Hall and Phoebe Grant, who supported his evidence on this, to be too short. Thus he hung it in an understairs cupboard at Gladstone Road both she and he told you and never wore it or saw it again. Similarly abandoned at Gladstone Road was the rubber type jacket, also a Christmas gift from his father.

Excerpt from judges summing up page 44 H here

Phoebe Grant (Referred to in Part 12 here and Part 12a here) lied about seeing Simon Hall’s leather jacket as he had already disposed of it, as referred to in Part 7 here

Lies, Deception & Impression Management

Simon Spence who was the prosecution junior, alongside Graham Parkin, representing the CPS during Simon Hall’s February 2003 trial, makes the false and misleading claim on his online bio that the evidence presented during the trial rested on contested fibre evidence. This was and is untrue.

The evidence heard throughout Simon Hall’s trial for his murder of Joan Albert rested on a whole lot more than contested fibre evidence asserted by Simon Spence, and given his role throughout the trial process he would surely have known this. The jury were presented with a wealth of other evidence and Simon Spence would have had access to all the case files and access to the same police witness statements, which contained within them the very same excerpts which are published throughout this Quite A Hall Tale blog series.

And as per the prosecutions closing speech, which was made clear by Graham Parkin, the CPS case did not rest simply on the fibre evidence found which linked Simon Hall to his murder of Joan Albert, it also rested on material concocted by Simon Hall and members of his immediate family heard throughout the trial.

Following the guilty verdict of the February 2003 trial the East Anglian Daily Times reported on Simon Hall’s sentencing. Their article was published the day after sentencing had taken place. Below are excerpts from their article;

Hall was sentenced to life imprisonment at London’s High Court yesterday but his solicitor said an appeal against his conviction was already underway

Dressed in a black suit, lemon shirt and pale yellow chequered tie, Hall listened to yesterday’s proceedings with a sombre expression

He looked shaken as Mrs Justice Rafferty told him that Mrs Albert’s death had been both “brutal” and “undignified”

“Dogged and painstaking police work eventually led to you, linking you to her home and her body by two different types of fibres,” she said

“Why you chose in the small hours of the morning to break into her home, may never be known”

The judge told Hall his parents must feel devastated after showing loyalty to him during “testing years” when he had acquired a criminal record for violence

Only one sentence could be passed, she added, “you will go to prison for life”

Before Hall was sentenced, his barrister, Peter Rouch QC, urged Mrs Justice Rafferty to consider the fact that the prosecution’s case was that Mrs Albert’s murder had been a “burglary that went wrong”

He said there was never any suggestion that whoever killed the pensioner had gone to her home to deliberately take her life

Mr Rouch also said Hall’s previous convictions for violence, an assault in McDonalds in 1997 and another for wounding, was a result of a street fight

“He is only 25. He has a strong family union. Whenever he comes out of custody he will have that unit”

During the trial, the prosecution claimed Hall targeted Mrs Albert’s home because of his special knowledge about her living circumstances

His mother, Lyn Hall had walked the widow’s pet dog Rusty and it was alleged Hall once told ex-girlfriend Joanne Blowers that she lived on her own and was from a wealthy background

Graham Parkins QC, said Hall broke into the widow’s home in the early hours of December 16, 2001, with the intention of burgling the property

Hall told police he was drinking in an Ipswich pub on the night of her murder, and moved to Liquid Nightclub, then drove home and arrived at his parents’ house in Snowcroft, Capel, as 6.28am

The prosecution said there was a missing hour unaccounted for. The main evidence of the trial centered on more than a thousand fibres found in Hall’s wardrobe at his Snowcroft home, his Audi car and in his home in Hill House Road, Ipswich

Forensic experts were unable to distinguish them from those found at Mrs Albert’s home and on her body, the court heard

Hall’s family sat silent and expressionless as he was taken down to the cells

They declined to comment after the case

Excerpts from East Anglian Daily Times article headed 11th April 2003

The skullduggery used in an attempt to distort the reality of the true narratives of the facts of Simon Hall’s murder of Joan Albert, especially to any new comer to the world of the criminal justice system and its workings, would often succeed in fooling people.

Although there were also many people and organisations, already familiar with its workings who would also attempt to use their powers of persuasion and paltering to add to the already existing concocted false narratives, distortions and confusion of a story based on a web of deceit.

Confessions ~ A Time To Take Stock

In 2013 during further occasions when Simon Hall’s mask came off, he disclosed numerous fantasies and plans he said he had, some of which included grooming, luring, raping and killing various female members of his family, including his adoptive mother Lynne Hall.

Excerpts from Simon Hall’s December 2013 Sentence Planning and Review Report, referring to events recorded in September and October 2013 respectively read;

Mr Hall was heard on the pin phone stating that he wanted to hurt himself and others by sexually assaulting them, killing & stab (sic) somebody in the eye

Intel suggests that Mr Hall has been making phone calls stating that he intends to have sex with his mother, sister and adoptive mother and he fantasises about having sex with a child, killing the child and burying the body

Excerpts from page 15 of HMP Wayland December 2013 ‘Sentence Planning and Review Report’

Simon Hall also disclosed that apparently when he was younger he had ’gone down’ on the family pet dog. An offender manager from HM prison service, recorded this in her notes as having been a pet cat, even though the offender manager had the benefit of recorded prison telephone calls and call logs, and if she had spoken directly to Simon Hall, or appraised herself of the facts of the case as to why Simon was imprisoned in the first place, she would have possibly known Lynne Hall only ever apparently had Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and rabbits. Lynne Hall stated;

We had lived at St John’s drive since 1969 and only moved because Phil was changing jobs. My husband is known as Phil rather than by his first name George. I should add that for the majority of our married life I have had a dog, they have always been Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, the first one we had was a Blenheim, which denotes the colouring in this case tan and white, he was called “buttons”, Buttons actually made the move from Lincolnshire to Capel with the family. I think we actually moved around 1980. Buttons was with us about 3 years before he had to be out down. we were a year without the dog before getting Lady who was a tricolour, Black, tan and white, again she was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Lady only died around 3 years ago

Excerpt from Lynne Hall’s police witness statement dated 25th July 2002

As well as thoughts of harming children, Simon Hall also said he would probably have killed again if he were released from prison, these disclosures also included comments of killing his then wife.

The following excerpt relates to events from early September 2013, whilst Simon Hall was still in open prison conditions at HMP Hollesley Bay;

Mr Hall’s risk has increased due to his statements over the course of 8/9 September 2013 that he had thought about absconding and ”killing himself”. However, given Mr Hall’s recent admission of guilt, added to the fact that his index offence and previous offences are of a violent nature, it gives rise to concerns about the potential for him to abscond and commit a further violent offence. His recent disclosures about sexual matters, also give rise to increased risk that Mr Hall may abscond and commit, not only a violent offence, but one that may be sexual in nature

Statement from page 21 of Simon Hall’s December 2013 HMP Wayland ‘Sentence Planning and Review Report’

A further reference taken from the same report read;

Intel suggests that Mr Hall has thoughts of self harm and smoking drugs

November 2013 note from Simon Hall’s security intelligence files

Lynne and Phil Hall travelled to HMP Wayland on the 30th January 2014. Lynne visited with her adoptive son Simon Hall, whilst Phil Hall apparently waited in the prison visitors parking area in his car.

In excerpts from a copy of a letter written from HMP Wayland, addressed to Lynne and Phil Hall, it read;

Dear Lynne and Phil,

If I had children I would never turn my back on them no matter what the situation was. Recent events demonstrate that I have suffered psychological problems for most of my life and they are only going to get worse unless I get the help I need

The difference between us is that I am sorry for hurting you and bringing a huge cloud of doubt and shame over ”The Family”. But all you seem to care about is your image and reputation

You’re ashamed of me – fair enough, but as much as I love you both, I’m ashamed of you too. You turned your back on me when I needed you the most. I’m obviously not well, but you couldn’t give a shit. Instead you remain victims and have not offered any kind of help or support when I clearly needed it. Some of my actions are unforgivable, but so are yours

I will not write again and I have removed the phone number

True colours always reveal themselves

Simon

Excerpts from copy of letter Simon Hall wrote, from HMP Wayland, to his adoptive parents Lynne and Phil Hall

Excerpts from one of Simon Hall’s final letters read;

I panic because of shame and because the truth is destroying me. Living in denial gave me no reason to panic and if you remember, I only started to panic like that when I was being found out lying. I panic through fear of judgement and rejection

Am I like my biological father? He put himself before the children that he had

I am worried about genetics. All of the Walton kids are damaged. I believe that both nature and nurture f**ked me up, I do hate Lynne I do hate Shaun, but I hate myself more. If they were in this cell, I’d punch their lights out. That’s true, but I’d want to hurt myself too

I don’t think it’s genetics. I remember my conscience as a kid, before Shaun got hold of me. I think nurture is so important from both to adulthood. If I’d been in loving households, I’d be different

Excerpts from one of Simon Hall’s last letters from 2014

Simon Hall was found hanging in his prison cell after committing suicide on the 23rd February 2014.

Link to Quite A Hall Tale©️ Part 15 here