English Crime History: Do you think James Hanratty was Guilty?

Question

The person who killed Michael Gregston and Paralysed Valerie Storey had to ask her how the gears on the car worked-James Hanratty was a petty car thief and could drive well!

Answer 1

In them days many cars had different gear positions it could well have been an unfamiliar gearbox to him so it did not signify much at that time.  EXAMPLE many were three speed boxes , some had reverse  were most first gears are now some the reverse was press down and and over to the right and forward. and some were completly the oppersite , on four speed boxes the reverse could be in five differant places , although the forward gears were nearly always as todays cars. add to that it was proved he was in the car and the fact was they were badly injured

Answer 2

You know how it is, the politicians get letters from the people demanding something be done about this terrible murder etc.  The politicians then put the pressure on the fuzz to find the person 'what dunnit'.  So, there's a handy bloke whom they know of, [a Barry George if you like] who fits the bill and half the description.  Hanratty guilty etc.

Imagine if we still had the death penalty today.  Barry George would now be dead and no one in authority would give a d**n.

James HanrattyThe conviction of James Hanratty, and his subsequent execution at Bedford Prison, has been regarded as extremely controversial. The Criminal Cases Review ...

http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/james...

INNOCENT - Fighting miscarriages of justiceVital evidence which could have led to the acquittal of James Hanratty, ... 'If that material had been disclosed, James Hanratty would not have been ...

http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/jamesha...  

Nothing much has changed, because when the guilty verdict against Barry George was over turned on appeal, what did the fuzz say, "that's a shame".

Shame is that they banged up a bloke on a trumped up charge.

What's gonna happen?

George will probably be compensated.  And guess who pays for that?  Yes, me the taxpayer.

Personally I think the money should come from the police officers involved in this miscarriage of justice and take it from their pension funds or salaries etc.

Justice for all.

Answer 3

Possibly but police corruption was more widespread in those days and it was easy to falsify evidence

Answer 4

http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/f...

This site explains about the circumstances..however it still remains that in these days, it was impossible without the forensic science capabilities we have today, that any true conclusion could be made, and the evidence did support at that time, that J Hanratty did commit the crime, but we will never really know.

Caramac x

Answer 5

DNA was recently removed from his body and proved conclusively that hanratty was guilty.  He was identified as the killer by Valery Story who gave a very detailed and accurate description of H weeks before he was idd  and arrested as the main suspect, a cartridge case fr the murder weapon was found in hotel room where he spent the night , he changed his alibi half way thru the trial etc etc.  The evidence was conclusive at the time but the professional conscience wankers of the time were/ are determined to work up a miscarriage of justice scenario

Answer 6

Nobody saw Hanrattys face,so his execution was dodgy.Though I agree with Capital punishment,this case highlights why our legal system needs overhauling.

See also the Christie/Evans case,though Evans was probably guilty of killing his child.