The chilling, smiling mugshot of Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright has been made public for the first time in approximately eighteen years, following his dramatic guilty plea at the Old Bailey. Wright, aged sixty-seven, admitted to the kidnapping and murder of seventeen-year-old Victoria Hall, who vanished over a quarter of a century ago, and the attempted kidnap of then twenty-two-year-old Emily Doherty.
Guilty Pleas Entered for Historic Crimes
Steve Wright, formerly of London Road in Ipswich, changed his plea to guilty on Monday, confessing to kidnapping Victoria Hall "by force or fraud" and to her murder on September 19, 1999. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty in Felixstowe the previous day. This marks the first time Wright has admitted to these killings, despite longstanding pleas from his family to confess.
Appearing at the Old Bailey in a navy and grey jumper, the balding Wright spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas. The release of his mugshot, showing a creepy smile, coincides with these admissions, offering a stark visual reminder of the killer two decades after his initial police photograph.
Sentencing and Victim Impact Statements
Mr Justice Bennathan has scheduled sentencing for Friday to allow Victoria Hall's family the opportunity to attend and submit victim impact statements. Prosecutor Jocelynn Ledward KC confirmed that Victoria's friend, Gemma Algar, and Emily Doherty will also provide statements. Wright, a former merchant seaman currently held at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire, is already serving a whole life prison sentence for the murders of five women, committed seven years after Victoria's death.
Legal Proceedings and Similarities in Cases
The guilty pleas follow a ruling by Mr Justice Bennathan that jurors in Wright's trial could be informed of his prior murder convictions, despite defence objections about potential prejudice. In legal arguments last month, the prosecution highlighted significant similarities between the murders, noting that all six women were asphyxiated, left in comparable locations, and shared a similar physical type.
Additionally, the prosecution argued for including evidence from a sex worker who knew Wright well, stating he was familiar with the area connected to Victoria's murder. This evidence underscores the calculated nature of his crimes.
Background of Victoria Hall's Disappearance
Victoria Hall, from Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, left her home on the evening of September 18, 1999, for a night out with her friend Gemma Algar at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe. Five days later, her body was discovered in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, approximately twenty-five miles from where she was last seen. A sixth-former with aspirations to study sociology at university in Roehampton, Surrey, Victoria's life was tragically cut short by Wright's actions.
The release of Steve Wright's mugshot and his guilty pleas bring a sombre closure to a case that has haunted Suffolk for decades, highlighting the enduring impact of his crimes on the victims' families and the community.
