Judge tells Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright ‘you’ll die in prison’ for murdering teenager Victoria Hall

A serial killer who murdered five women will ‘die in prison’ for the murder of a sixth victim 27 years after she was killed.

Victoria Hall, who was killed in 1999, has finally had her killer brought to justice after a pioneering tool in DNA analysis pinned Steve Wright to the murder.

Over the course of two nights, Wright prowled the streets of Felixstowe in Suffolk looking to kidnap a young woman.

After a failed attempt to kidnap a 22-year-old Emily Doherty on 18 September 1999, Wright kidnapped and murdered 17-year-old Victoria the following day.

CCTV shows him at a petrol station five miles away from where he left her body in Creeting St Peter.

Ms Doherty was able to describe Wright’s vehicle, which helped police whittle down possible suspects to just two, including Wright.

Wright, now aged 67, pleaded guilty to kidnap and murder at the Old Bailey on Monday, and was jailed for 40 years today.

Mr Justice Bennathan said: ‘Given the sentence already imposed for your other dreadful crimes it is well nigh certain you will die in prison.’

He also pleaded guilty of the attempted kidnap of Ms Doherty.

Mr Justice Bennathan added: ‘Victoria Hall was a typical bright, lively teenager. Her father described her as having been a happy, loving child.

‘She spent hours on the phone to her best friend, she was studying for her A-levels, she had a part-time job and loved to go out dancing.

‘For reasons only you know, and most people will never start to comprehend, you snatched Victoria away and you crushed her young life.’

Wright only pleaded guilty until what was meant to be the first day of his trial delaying the outcome for a number of weeks.

This meant Victoria’s mum never got see justice for her daughter, as she died in December.

Her family said they themselves have been ‘given a life sentence’.

Victoria was just 300 metres away from her front door when she supposedly vanished after separating from her best friend Gemma Algar, Jocelyn Ledward KC said.

She added: ‘Wright did not allow Victoria Hall, aged 17, to escape his predatory clutches.

‘She never made it home and seemingly vanished; the only clue to what happened to her, a scream in the night on the small housing estate where she lived in the village of Trimley St Mary – not 2 miles from where the defendant made his attempt on Emily Doherty.’

Samantha Woolley, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: ‘Justice has finally been achieved for Victoria Hall after 26 years.

‘The meticulous work we have carried out with Suffolk Police, supporting their investigation and working hard to bring this case to court, has resulted in Wright admitting his guilt.

‘Our case was bolstered by critical DNA evidence made possible because of pioneering new forensic techniques – along with a wealth of other evidence which gave him little choice but to plead guilty.

‘Much attention will be made of Steve Wright being convicted of another murder, attention he does not deserve. Quite simply, he represents the very worst of humanity and I hope he will now be forgotten.

‘This outcome should make plain that time does not preclude a successful prosecution; we will doggedly pursue justice for the victims of non-recent crimes, no matter how many decades have passed.

‘Our thoughts remain with Victoria’s family, and all those who loved and cherished her.’

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