'Selfish Steve Wright robbed us of our Victoria'

After more than 26 agonising years without answers or justice, Victoria Hall's family and friends finally got to see her killer sentenced.

Steve Wright, who was already jailed for life in 2008 for killing five women in the Ipswich area, was sentenced for life again on Friday for murdering the 17-year-old in nearby Felixstowe in 1999.

The case had remained unsolved until he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Monday, in what was a shock confession as audible gasps were heard throughout the court.

During sentencing in a packed courtroom, Victoria's dad, brother and friend said that, while Wright's sentence "does give Victoria justice", it would never bring her back.

Gemma Algar had been with Victoria on a night out on 18 September 1999 at the Bandbox on the town's seafront, where they had always "felt safe", but on her way home they parted company and Victoria was abducted near her home in neighbouring Trimley St Mary in the early hours of 19 September.

Gemma told the court her "life changed forever" when she woke up the following morning to discover "Vicky had not come home".

"I will never forget the sick feeling in my stomach as I wondered where she was. I felt something must have been desperately wrong," she said.

"Vicky and I were inseparable - we became best friends in high school and attended sixth form together.

"We walked to and from school, met in the evenings, and spent hours talking on the phone. Life was pretty carefree and we were enjoying that transition into adulthood.

"When we received the news that Vicky had been found, the pain and grief of knowing I would never see her again was unbearable."

Prosecutors said that Wright had acted like "a predator" who "stalked his prey" as he looked for a "young woman to kill".

The court was also told his actions were most likely sexually motivated and, as he abducted her, "faint screams of a female" could be heard.

After he killed her, he stripped her body of all of her clothing, leaving her wearing only her jewellery, before dumping her body 25 miles (40km) away in a water-filled ditch.

Victoria, who was described as a "bright, lively teenager" who "loved dancing", was not found for six days.

During that time Gemma said she found it hard to cope with Victoria's death as she was "terrified" and concerned about her own safety.

"The person responsible was still out there and I was frightened they might come for me too," she said.

"For a long time, I could not bear to be on my own. Even today, I am a jumpy person, and I believe this is a direct result of what happened.

"It feels as though my happy memories of Vicky are overshadowed by the pain and trauma of her loss.

"Her death did not just take Vicky from me; it altered the course of my life in ways that continue to affect me to this day.

"A guilty plea does give justice to Vicky, [but] it doesn't bring her back or take away the hurt and sadness and all of those feelings we have felt over the past 26 years.

"Vicky lost her life. There is nothing that can even start to make up for that."

Victoria's dad, Graham Hall, said Wright had "robbed" his family of seeing her "grow into a woman", go to university, get married and have children, and robbed her parents of any chance of grandchildren.

He also highlighted that his wife and Victoria's mum, Lorinda, had not lived to see Wright sentenced, having died in December.

"In 1999, we were a normal family and then Steve Wright came along and took Victoria from us," he said in a statement read out by his son, Steven.

"The pain of the week that followed will be with us forever. The waiting, not sleeping for what seemed the inevitable outcome.

"We finally have justice for our Victoria, but this will not bring her back.

"This is the end of the police involvement, but it will never be over for us, but we have learnt to live with it. I miss Victoria every day and will do for the rest of my life."

Victoria's brother, Steven Hall, said the "selfish" actions of Wright had turned his family's "whole world upside down" and "damaged every aspect" of their lives.

"Our family was forced into an exclusive club no-one ever wants to be part of," he said.

"I lost my sister, and mum and dad their daughter who brought so much joy to us all with her dancing and just the lovely way she was.

"It's an unbearable pain."

Stephen also spoke about how his own children, not least his eldest son who is the same age his father was when Victoria died, never got to have an aunt in their lives.

"The impact is not just for us, it involves my family as well – both my children have asked about Victoria but never had the privilege of meeting her," he said.

"Since I was age 15, I have had 26 years of not knowing what happened to my sister with police, media and others being interested in our lives, which is not normal.

"I have had a life sentence in itself.

"The conclusion of this does not bring closure. It only answers the question of who did it. It won't change the everyday hurt and suffering we have to go through.

"It's been 26 years and time doesn't heal – you just have to learn to live with it. Whatever the sentence, nothing will change what we have to deal with daily and the pain we have."

On Monday, Wright also admitted the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty the evening before he killed Victoria.

She had gone out for her "last night out in Felixstowe" on the 17 September before she and her husband went on a six-month honeymoon.

In her statement, which was read out by prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC, she said she had been "stalked" by Wright for what seemed like 40 minutes during the early hours of the 18 September.

"I have never been so scared in my life," said Emily, who also said she was now "super cautious" about walking alone at night.

Emily eventually found safety when a couple let her into their house, which the court was told most definitely saved her life.

"I thought my heart was going to explode from my chest. I had never run so fast, nor jumped over walls like that," she added.

"I had to ask for a glass of water. I wanted to cry so much. I was so scared."

When Suffolk Police officers did arrive, she said she did not feel as if they believed her account and they questioned how much she had had to drink.

"I had to insist that the danger that I felt had been real and had to ask for a lift home to [Felixstowe] Ferry," she said.

"To this day I am furious. I wasn't taken seriously. I was made to feel like a silly little girl and they told me to forget all about it.

"I have survivors' guilt. I blame myself for not being more assertive and sure of myself, for not going into the police station and forcing a statement on them.

"For 25-plus years, I have wondered 'What if?' What if they had taken my statement? Could Vicky still be alive now?"

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