A time to take stock....

[Stephanie]

To confirm, SH was guilty, his motive was to apparently rape his victim, certain individuals knew he had lied (not me) and like many cases of this nature the police made errors.

http://thejusticegap.com/2013/09/simon-hall-confession-a-time-to-take-stock/

[Stephanie]

http://thejusticegap.com/2013/09/keeping-perspective/

"Simon Hall’s confession has brought these thoughts back into focus for me. I am not saying that his confession is false, but I am saying that if it is I can just begin to understand why he may have made it. I am not suggesting that I can begin to imagine what miscarriage of justice victims really go through: the sense of injustice, the loss of freedom and life, the pressure from psychology and offender management personnel to admit guilt. We know that extreme psychological pressure can produce false confessions and even false memories.

False comfort
We know also that people who have been damaged psychologically and emotionally can self destruct and they sometimes do this just at the time things are beginning to look more hopeful for them. We know of the difficulties victims of injustice face even (some say even more so) when and if they are finally cleared – the high rates of psychological problems, drink and drug abuse and the shocking number of early deaths. Most people with serious illnesses or disabilities fight to maintain their lives; occasionally some have just had enough and literally lose the will to live. It is far from inconceivable that victims of miscarriages of justice can reach a parallel psychological position and lose the will to fight."

[Stephanie]

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/capel_st_mary_simon_hall_s_mother_s_shock_at_his_murder_confession_1_2323767

Mrs Hall said: “I’m absolutely shocked because I know he is innocent and I still believe he is.

“But it’s the system. If he had pleaded guilty in the beginning, he would be home now.

“I know he has been really low and in hospital recently. He’s given up.”

Mrs Hall added: “I believe he feels he can’t take any more after all the fight he has put up and how brave he has been.

“If that’s his decision, that’s his decision but I will never believe that.”

[Stephanie]

"Now that Simon Hall has apparently taken his own life it is perhaps pertinent to view his “confession” in this new light. I am sure that some will say that his suicide is a certain sign of his anguish over his guilt. I say that, on the contrary, his death may have been through pure despair.
That despair most likely stemmed from the failure of his final appeal.Where was he to go from there? No more new evidence to rely on…the end of the road.
His confession was more than likely sparked by the inevitable realisation that those who are deemed IDOM are unlikely to ever be considered for parole. I don’t need to spell out the treatment IDOM prisoners face compared to those who realise their guilty status and play the game to prepare them for release.
I am not concerned by the kerfuffle over his so called confession. The bald facts of the case are that the conviction of Simon Hall was a miscarriage of justice. There was and still isn’t any evidence on which he should have been convicted. The DPP agreed, yet the court of appeal in 2011 disgracefully usurped the role of the jury by not ordering at the very least a re-trial.
Any notions that some may hold that British justice is something to behold with respect are being naive in the extreme. If British justice was ever a shining beacon of hope for the many then it has been extinguished for a long long time.
Bar the confession, there are echo’s here of Gordon Park and the lady in the lake case.
In addition, as shown in the Victor Nealon case, our whole CJS is in crisis and the CCRC is as culpable as any public body in the prolonging of injustice."

http://thejusticegap.com/2013/09/simon-hall-confession-a-time-to-take-stock/

[Stephanie]

"In maintaining his innocence during his time in prison, Simon Hall was no different to many convicted killers. For 12 years he vigorously denied he was guilty of the murder of 79-year-old Joan Albert at her home in Capel St Mary in Suffolk. What made Simon Hall different was that he was believed. Not just by his family and friends but by the wider public, legal experts, parts of the media and the ex-Ipswich MP Chris Mole. The fact of his confession - made formally to the prison authorities - only emerged on Thursday."

http://prisonersfamiliesvoices.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/joan-albert-murder-simon-hall.html

[Stephanie]

All this speculation and not one theory accurate or even close to being true.

[Caroline]

"The perp’s mother convinced that her child is innocent of murder? Yes.

Politicians, legal experts, journalists and members of the public convinced that person convicted of murder is innocent? Yes.

Television documentary casting doubt on the conviction? Yes.

Criticisms of police investigation and claims there is no DNA evidence and no motive? Yes.

Website set up in order to convince the public that the person convicted of murder is actually innocent? Yes.

An academic staff member of the Innocence Project leaps on board and starts pontificating before closely looking? Yes.
Simon Hall’s confession has made his most adamant defender Dr. Michael Naughton, the local director of the Innocence Project at Bristol University (image below). look like a real dupe, and may have destroyed his credibility as an expert and a campaigner on wrongful convictions.

Dr. Naughton long campaigned hard for the release of Simon Hall, and called repeatedly for his conviction to be quashed. Simon Hall’s public reversal will set back both the Innocence Project and his own career."

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/how_greg_hampikian_abuses_two_positions_of_trust_in_serially_misrepres/

Perhaps it just goes to show how convincing Simon was and perhaps if you have a special interest in MOJ, you might be biased towards innocence?

[Stephanie]

Perhaps it just goes to show how convincing Simon was and perhaps if you have a special interest in MOJ, you might be biased towards innocence?

And rather than 'take stock' in an attempt to understand how and why it happened, most people appear to prefer to speculate rather than actually learn anything from it?

With regards the JB case, there are many many similarities to this case which imo should not be ignored or explained away.

[Caroline]

And rather than 'take stock' in an attempt to understand how and why it happened, most people appear to prefer to speculate rather than actually learn anything from it?

With regards the JB case, there are many many similarities to this case which imo should not be ignored or explained away.

Or made excuses for - it's a common theme! 

[Stephanie]

Or made excuses for - it's a common theme! 

Sadly it is...

[Stephanie]

Today is the first Anniversary of Simon's funeral. It's amazing how quickly people forget, seemingly only interested if it suits their agenda.

[scipio_usmc]

Perhaps it just goes to show how convincing Simon was and perhaps if you have a special interest in MOJ, you might be biased towards innocence?

You will find that a lot of people decide innocence after talking to people and becoming convinced by personality instead of being objective and approaching a matter professionally.  Remaining objective means  looking at the evidence and doing what you can with that evidence.  People who become emotionally invested don't look at things rationally and usually made poor advocates.  They will make excuses and even make up wacky allegations. None of that helps the client though because what is needed is to refute the evidence that convicted the person  and wacky allegations doesn't accomplish that nor does making excuses.  The evidence needs to be attacked and refuted.



 

[Stephanie]

You will find that a lot of people decide innocence after talking to people and becoming convinced by personality instead of being objective and approaching a matter professionally.  Remaining objective means  looking at the evidence and doing what you can with that evidence.  People who become emotionally invested don't look at things rationally and usually made poor advocates.  They will make excuses and even make up wacky allegations. None of that helps the client though because what is needed is to refute the evidence that convicted the person  and wacky allegations doesn't accomplish that nor does making excuses.  The evidence needs to be attacked and refuted.

Interesting that you should say that as there many people who are still claiming he is innocent or questioning the confession. If you have read some of the news articles you will see a Professor from Cardiff Law school who states he doesn't know what to make of the confession. He says  "I am not saying that his confession is false, but I am saying that if it is I can just begin to understand why he may have made it. I am not suggesting that I can begin to imagine what miscarriage of justice victims really go through: the sense of injustice, the loss of freedom and life, the pressure from psychology and offender management personnel to admit guilt. We know that extreme psychological pressure can produce false confessions and even false memories."

He starts by using the phrase - I am not saying- that is exactly what he is saying. Looks like a clever manipulation tactic imo.

Then there's the idiot who has maliciously and subtly alluded to him having been psychologically abused by me, hence the reason for the false confession. 

[nugnug]

Following on from the confession numerous people made numerous speculative assumptions regarding the validity of the claim.

To confirm, he was guilty, his motive was to apparently rape his victim, certain individuals knew he had lied (not me) and like many cases of this nature the police made errors.

http://thejusticegap.com/2013/09/simon-hall-confession-a-time-to-take-stock/

that wont wash you had all the paperwork they dident,

[Caroline]

that wont wash you had all the paperwork they dident,

How could she know anything about guilt from the paperwork?