In October 1961, when James Hanratty became a prime suspect in the notorious A6 murder case, he went into hiding and attempted to deny his involvement by calling investigators and newspapers. On the night of 11 October, Hanratty travelled from Liverpool to Blackpool, a town he hoped might offer him some anonymity. At around 11:15 pm, he was enjoying a meal at the Stevonia Fish and Chips Restaurant, located on Central Drive. It was here that he had an unexpected encounter with Detective Constables James Williams and Albert Stillings, who had stopped by the restaurant for a cup of coffee.
The two detectives had been working undercover, engaging with the women working on Central Drive. Hanratty, unaware of their true identities, continued his meal as the officers casually chatted. Ironically, the same restaurant where Hanratty dined remains open to this day, and visitors can still enjoy the same fish and chips in the very spot where history unfolded. If you’re ever in Blackpool, it’s worth a visit — and who knows, perhaps you could even sit at the very same table Hanratty once occupied. Of course, for the full experience, it’s best to go during the busy season, when the restaurant is bustling with customers.
The image below shows it as it is today.
Image of Stevonia Fish & Chips © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd
On the morning of 23 August 1961, at approximately 6:45 am, the body of Michael John Gregsten was discovered in a lay-by on the A6 road at Deadman’s Hill, near the Bedfordshire village of Clophill, by John Kerr, an Oxford undergraduate conducting a traffic census. Lying beside him, semi-conscious, was his girlfriend, Valerie Jean Storie. Gregsten had been shot twice in the head at point-blank range with a .38 revolver, while Storie had been raped and shot multiple times—four times in the left shoulder and once in the neck—leaving her paralysed from the shoulders down. Kerr alerted local farm labourer Sydney Burton, who flagged down two cars and asked the drivers to call an ambulance.
The couple’s car, a grey 1956 Morris Minor (registration 847 BHN), was found abandoned behind Redbridge tube station in Essex later that day. The vehicle was jointly owned by Gregsten’s mother and aunt and had been lent to the couple for a car rally they were planning to attend, according to Storie.
Meanwhile, the case would later catch the attention of John Lennon, due to personal connections to Blackpool. At the age of six, Lennon had a traumatic experience in Blackpool when his father took him to stay with a family friend, only for his mother to intervene and take him back. Additionally, John Lennon’s first wife had been born in Blackpool, which may have brought the case to his notice. Lennon had another unsettling experience on Blackpool beach, which led him to explore primal scream therapy as a means of coping with trauma.
The primary suspect in the case was James Hanratty, but the evidence against him was sparse and controversial. Hanratty had no history of violent crime, and key pieces of evidence, such as fingerprints, were absent from the car. Furthermore, Hanratty was known to not wear gloves, which raised questions about the lack of any forensic trace in the car. Another twist emerged when Peter Alphon, who had no alibi, confessed to the crime. Investigative journalist Paul Foot uncovered that Alphon had received a mysterious £5,000 at the time of the murder, money which he could not account for.
Despite the lack of solid evidence, James Hanratty was convicted and hanged in 1962. Many, including Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, believed that an innocent man had been wrongfully executed. Lennon and Ono publicly proclaimed Hanratty’s innocence at Hyde Park Corner and expressed their support for his family. They, along with others, argued that investigators had withheld key information from the defence, such as the fact that reported sightings of Hanratty were incompatible with the recorded mileage of the stolen car. This was crucial because it was the only physical evidence—aside from Valerie Storie’s identification—that linked Hanratty to the crime.
The case became one of the most famous miscarriages of justice in British legal history, and the campaign for Hanratty’s posthumous exoneration would continue for decades. It remains a poignant reminder of the flaws in the criminal justice system and the impact of celebrity advocacy in seeking justice.
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John Lennon and Yoko Ono with the parents of James Hanratty, the convicted “A6 Murderer” whose cause they were championing, 12 November 1969.
With police officers photographing it, the Morris Minor, reg no. 847 BHN is pictured after its discovery in Avondale Crescent, Ilford, Essex. Police have been searching for the vehicle following the shooting of a man and his young woman companion on Deadman’s Hill, Clophill, Bedfordshire.
James Hanratty convicted of the A6 Murder
