Serial killer Steve Wright, who is already incarcerated under a whole-life prison sentence for the murders of five women, has been handed an additional 40-year term for the 1999 killing of schoolgirl Victoria Hall and the attempted abduction of Emily Doherty. The sentencing took place at the Old Bailey in London, where Wright admitted to the crimes just before his trial was due to commence.
Details of the Crimes
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC outlined the harrowing details of Wright's predatory actions in Felixstowe, Suffolk, during September 1999. Wright was described as being "on the prowl" in his burgundy Ford Granada Scorpio, actively seeking a young woman to kidnap. In the early hours of 18 September, he targeted 22-year-old Emily Doherty, but she managed to escape unharmed after her instincts alerted her to the danger. Her description of the attacker's vehicle later assisted police in identifying Wright as a suspect.
The Murder of Victoria Hall
Undeterred by his failed attempt, Wright struck again the following night, abducting 17-year-old Victoria Hall as she walked home from the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe. After separating from her friend Gemma Algar just 300 metres from her front door, Hall was snatched by Wright, who sexually assaulted and murdered her before callously discarding her naked body in a farm ditch 25 miles away. The court heard that this act caused "untold distress" to Hall's family, particularly her mother, who passed away before Wright was brought to justice.
Legal Proceedings and Background
Wright had been due to stand trial for Hall's murder and the attempted kidnapping of Doherty, but he changed his plea at the last minute, marking the first murder to which he has admitted guilt. This conviction adds to his previous ones, including the 2008 sentencing for the murders of five women in Ipswich between 2006 and 2008, which had already resulted in a whole-life prison term.
The investigation into Hall's death was reopened in 2019 by Suffolk Constabulary, leading to Wright's arrest in 2021. His DNA had been added to the national database following a 2001 conviction for theft, which eventually linked him to the cold case. The sentencing highlights the prolonged impact of Wright's crimes on the victims' families and the community.
