a6 murder

[Graham]

I'm repeating myself, but...

If you want to split up a couple, the very last thing you do is put them in a situation where they're both terrified by the same person/situation. Nothing could be more designed to bring two people closer together. Therefore, in my opinion, that can't have been what the 'conspiracy', if there was one, was all about.

Hi Simon,

Absolutely correct - total common sense. It's been said before, but if there really was a conspiracy in the A6 Case, it was after the crime and not before it.

Cheers,

Graham

[Graham]

Re: Ewer's various actions for libel, I'd suggest that one reason he didn't sue Alphon was that he, Alphon, wasn't worth suing! You can't get blood out of a stone, after all. And I kind of get the impression that although Ewer was plainly annoyed by Alphon the latter never, as far as I can tell, published anything in writing for all to see accusing Ewer of being behind the A6 Crime. Alphon's letter to the Home Secretary, in which he named Ewer, was, I guess, a purely private matter and covered by Parliamentary privilege.

Re: Blue Moon, just the same as anyone else I find his/her postings very interesting, but even so I think he/she ought to be mindful of the respect due to a person who's kept quite about the A6 Case for the best part of 50 years. But, it's his/her decision regarding what he posts on this thread, and I'm sure that the contents of any future posts from him/her will be avidly read by all!

Cheers,

Graham

[Tony]

I'm repeating myself, but...

If you want to split up a couple, the very last thing you do is put them in a situation where they're both terrified by the same person/situation. Nothing could be more designed to bring two people closer together. Therefore, in my opinion, that can't have been what the 'conspiracy', if there was one, was all about.

Hello Simon,

That’s certainly one point of view and I suspect it’s the one accepted by the majority.

But there are two sides to every coin; so let’s examine the other side. But first you obviously have to have had a different ending which would go along with the splitting up of the couple. You say it would have drawn them closer together. That’s assuming both had lived and just been terrified for the night.

What about this side of the coin then:

The following weekend Valerie is out with one of her mates and starts to relate the story.

“We were sat in the car getting very friendly when there is a tap on the window. Mike opened the window and a bloody weirdo with a mask and a gun gets in the car. He has had us tied up and driven round God knows where for hours on end. He tells us we should end the relationship and bloody well frightened us both half to death.”

“Look Valerie I’ve told you about Gregston. He’s always after a bit of skirt you know. You’re not the only one you know. I’m not surprised about what happened although it was a bit extreme. But it was only a matter of time before somebody gave him a warning. A jealous husband or father or somebody like that. It’s been on the cards for ages. He treats his wife like a bloody convenience. You don’t want to end up like that do you Val?
No you take my advice steer well clear of Mr I’m Gorgeous Gregston or you’ll only end up in trouble. The bloke’s a bad egg.”

“You don’t need to tell me anymore after Tuesday night I will never have anything to do with the man again. I certainly don’t need that.”

“Good girl, Val.”

Maybe, maybe not but just possible. Simon.

Tony.

[jimornot?]

I'm repeating myself, but...

If you want to split up a couple, the very last thing you do is put them in a situation where they're both terrified by the same person/situation. Nothing could be more designed to bring two people closer together. Therefore, in my opinion, that can't have been what the 'conspiracy', if there was one, was all about.

hi Simon

Or, as I think was also mentioned before, it was to ensure MG finally left home.

All the best

Viv

[simon]

Hi Tony,
Possible, yes. But if they considered both of these possible outcomes, the one they wanted or the relationship-strengthening, might they not have concluded that it was too close to call ? - and opted for something less risky ? Easy enough to put the frighteners on someone - especially when he's alone.

Regards,
Simon

[Graham]

Tony,

If such a scenario as you posit had occurred, then I'm 101% sure that, assuming that VS and MG survived, they'd have been to the police as fast as their Morris could take them, and within hours there'd have been a manhunt for a gunman. It just doesn't strike me as feasible that someone like JH (or anyone else toting a gun, for that matter) would be engaged to scare VS and MG into ending their relationship. Over the years I've known a few randy blokes who played the field, with and without the knowledge of their dear wives, and I can't think of one who was 'leaned upon' in such dramatic fashion. OK, one of them did end up in the casualty ward, courtesy of a whacking when he was nabbed in flagrante......and the bugger deserved it, in my opinion!

And although your imagined dialogues are enjoyable, I recall at least one poster describing Leonard Miller's book as a 'work of fiction' largely because he indulged in the same thing....

On a different note, something I've often wondered (as have others, no doubt) is whether anyone directly connected with the A6 Case actually reads this thread. I've also wondered if the Hanratty family's legal team (it was Bindman and Co at one time, and maybe still is) is still actively seeking ways of establishing JH's innocence. Michael Hanratty for one never accepted the DNA, but short of financing new DNA tests (which are I believe impossible anyway now because of the lack of test-material) or someone coming forward with totally new evidence, I wonder if there is anything that he or his legal team could actually do?

On the old threads, I posted a couple of times re: an unsolved murder I'm interested in, and when I was absent-mindedly Googling for information I was very surprised to find the website of a firm of lawyers (on the Continent, as it happened) asking anyone and everyone for any information at all regarding this particular murder and its victim, and that was nearly 25 years after the event.

Cheers,

Graham

PS: Happy New Year to all if I don't make it back on the boards today....

[simon]

hi Simon

Or, as I think was also mentioned before, it was to ensure MG finally left home.

All the best

Viv

Hi Viv,
That may sound like the logical result of what I was suggesting...but to scare him into setting up home with her ? It sounds too far-fetched a plan to me.

Best wishes,
Simon. (And happy new year all !)

[Tony]

Tony,

If such a scenario as you posit had occurred, then I'm 101% sure that, assuming that VS and MG survived, they'd have been to the police as fast as their Morris could take them, and within hours there'd have been a manhunt for a gunman. It just doesn't strike me as feasible that someone like JH (or anyone else toting a gun, for that matter) would be engaged to scare VS and MG into ending their relationship. Over the years I've known a few randy blokes who played the field, with and without the knowledge of their dear wives, and I can't think of one who was 'leaned upon' in such dramatic fashion. OK, one of them did end up in the casualty ward, courtesy of a whacking when he was nabbed in flagrante......and the bugger deserved it, in my opinion!

And although your imagined dialogues are enjoyable, I recall at least one poster describing Leonard Miller's book as a 'work of fiction' largely because he indulged in the same thing....

On a different note, something I've often wondered (as have others, no doubt) is whether anyone directly connected with the A6 Case actually reads this thread. I've also wondered if the Hanratty family's legal team (it was Bindman and Co at one time, and maybe still is) is still actively seeking ways of establishing JH's innocence. Michael Hanratty for one never accepted the DNA, but short of financing new DNA tests (which are I believe impossible anyway now because of the lack of test-material) or someone coming forward with totally new evidence, I wonder if there is anything that he or his legal team could actually do?

On the old threads, I posted a couple of times re: an unsolved murder I'm interested in, and when I was absent-mindedly Googling for information I was very surprised to find the website of a firm of lawyers (on the Continent, as it happened) asking anyone and everyone for any information at all regarding this particular murder and its victim, and that was nearly 25 years after the event.

Cheers,

Graham

PS: Happy New Year to all if I don't make it back on the boards today....

Good Afternoon Graham,

A very quick and comprehensive reply as always but; ouch that hurt. I would hope that I am not perceived as being the Jimdidn’tdoit equivalent of Mr. Miller.
I am not writing for a penny of profit and was simply looking at the other side of the coin on Simon’s posting. I hope, unlike Mr Miller, I have not offended you or anyone else.

I often wonder what has become of the case as far as the Hanratty’s are concerned. Michael never gave me the impression that he was about to give up and if I were in his place neither would I. But it would be interesting to find out if there was still some behind the scenes activity.

Can you let me know, by PM to me if you like, the outline of the unsolved murder case? You never know it might be something I am also interested in.

Tony.

[Graham]

Tny,

No offence meant and none taken either way, I trust. I always felt that Miller did himself no favours when he went off into what were obviously fictional musings about JH and his state of mind, etc. To me, it was just padding and better left out.

The other case I mentioned is that of Janice Weston, who was found murdered in a lay-by on the A1 in 1983. There were some highly mysterious circumstances surrounding both herself and her death, which as far as I'm aware remains unsolved and virtually without any clue whatsoever to this day. The law-firm I found is/was in Italy, and on their site they were simply asking anyone who happened to read it if they knew anything at all about the Weston Case. I don't know if anyone ever replied, and I can't find the website again.

Anyway, this is my last post until tomorrow, as I'm needed in the kitchen to get the grub ready for our little piss-up tonight, so all the best to you and everyone on this thread.

Best regards,

Graham

[reg1965]

Hello Graham,

If you hired a hit man, or to use the more professional term for his occupation a contract killer, to wipe out Reg and the contract killer did so and was subsequently caught then the contract killer would be guilty of murder. You as his paymaster would be guilty of conspiracy to murder. Both, nowadays, would carry exactly the same sentence i.e.: life imprisonment.

It would not matter a jot if when Reg copped it you were dining out with the Chief Constable.

Contract killings are obviously far more common today than they were in the early sixties and more so before that.
I don’t know of a case of contract killing where the hit man was caught and hanged but if it was proved both would then as now have suffered the same fate.

Tony.

Graham I use you and Reg only as examples. Please don’t get any ideas.

Hello Hello Hello Tony
I have passed your post on to my twin bruv Ronnie for further processing.

Don't have nightmares!

Happy new year mate and to everyone else on here.
Reg

[reg1965]

Hi All

I have sent emails to the following in the past few months and have not heard a dicky bird from any of them:-

Michael Hanratty via Bindmans
Michael Mansfield via Tooks
Bob Woffinden via his website

Alphon was paid, as Foot recounted, £5K in 5 or 6 instalments from October 1961 in a relatively short period of time (no later than the following summer). If Hanratty was the lone killer with no preplanned objective then why would Alphon have been paid such large sums by some person(s)? Were monies obtained as payment of a job done, blackmail, gambling winnings or from some other source? It certainly wasn't from a private income as he liked to tell journalists. He used to sponge off of his mother for his doss house digs.
He could have banked such large amounts of cash from gambling winnings, but this seems to me to be highly unlikely; unless it was one of the luckiest winning streaks in British gaming history.
Why wasn't the amount of money Alphon obviously had followed up by the old bill. Hanratty's father and his brother Michael went the police after being harrassed by Alphon and challanged the police to investigate his income. The Hanrattys were rebuffed. (Woffinden, 1997 p343)
Either way he was living so high on the hog for this period of time that wealthy playboys would have struggled to keep up. But it didn't last and there is the rub. Such a large amount of bread in the possession of the first suspect in a sensational murder inquiry just after being eliminated from inquires. Coincidence...umm? His luck certainly changed for the better whatever happened.

Reg

[jimornot?]

[QUOTE=reg1965;59905]Hi All

I have sent emails to the following in the past few months and have not heard a dicky bird from any of them:-

Michael Hanratty via Bindmans
Michael Mansfield via Tooks
Bob Woffinden via his website



hi Reg

I am not surprised that the solicitors (Messrs Mansfield & Sherrard) have not been in touch and possibly Bindmans may not have passed your message on. But it would be nice to think Bob Woffinden would be keen to know of the interest that still remains in this case (I wonder if in fact he now feels Hanratty was guilty after all - has he passed any opinion since the DNA?)

As Graham asked, it would be nice to know if anyone involved in the case directly - is aware of this thread?

All the best and reagrds to Reg

Viv


PS Happy New Year one and all

[jimornot?]

[QUOTE=Tony;59871]Good Afternoon Graham,

A very quick and comprehensive reply as always but; ouch that hurt. I would hope that I am not perceived as being the Jimdidn’tdoit equivalent of Mr. Miller.
I am not writing for a penny of profit and was simply looking at the other side of the coin on Simon’s posting. I hope, unlike Mr Miller, I have not offended you or anyone else.


Hi Tony

I haven't read the Miller book but it would seem that his conjectures are far less interesting and funny than your own tongue in cheek efforts - keep them up!

All the best esp for 2009

Viv

[Tony]

[QUOTE=jimornot?;59922]

Good Afternoon Graham,

A very quick and comprehensive reply as always but; ouch that hurt. I would hope that I am not perceived as being the Jimdidn’tdoit equivalent of Mr. Miller.
I am not writing for a penny of profit and was simply looking at the other side of the coin on Simon’s posting. I hope, unlike Mr Miller, I have not offended you or anyone else.


Hi Tony

I haven't read the Miller book but it would seem that his conjectures are far less interesting and funny than your own tongue in cheek efforts - keep them up!

All the best esp for 2009

Viv

Hello Viv,

Thank you. I really appreciate that.

None of us are here that long and we should not take life so seriously and certainly should be able to laugh at ourselves.

All the best to you Viv for the New Year.

Tony.

[reg1965]

Hi All
Just having a poke around the net and found the (auto?)biography of Michael Sherrard @

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wigs-Wherefores-Biography-Michael-Sherrard/dp/0854900306

I think it will be the next addition to my A6 library.

Reg