Steve Wright in court charged with 1999 murder of teenager Victoria Hall

3 June 2024, 10:59 | Updated: 3 June 2024, 14:52

A man has appeared in court charged with kidnapping and murdering a 17-year-old Suffolk girl in 1999.

Victoria Hall's body was found in a ditch five days after she went missing as she headed home from a Felixstowe nightclub on 19 September that year.

Ms Hall, from Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, was last seen alive when she split from her friend around 2.20am, about an hour after the pair had left Bandbox nightclub.

Her parents, Lorinda and Graham Hall, woke up in the morning to find their daughter had not returned home and a missing persons inquiry began.

On 24 September, her body was discovered in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles from where she was last seen.

Steve Wright is accused of killing the teenager and appeared at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Monday via a video-link from custody.

The 66-year-old, formerly of London Road, Ipswich, has also been charged with the attempted kidnap of a woman the previous day.

Wright rested his arms on a table and stated his name to the court as Steve Gerald James Wright.

He also gave his date of birth during the hearing which lasted less than five minutes, and confirmed he could hear the proceedings and that he was not recording them.

The court was told Wright is accused of Ms Hall's kidnap in Felixstowe on 19 September 1999 and her murder in Stowupland on the same date.

He is also accused of the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty in Felixstowe on 18 September, according to the charges read out in court.

A 22-year-old woman reported a man had approached and followed her between 3am and 4am on 18 September 1999 in High Road East, Felixstowe, Suffolk Police said.

Wright was not asked to enter pleas to the three charges.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court for a preliminary hearing later on Monday.

(c) Sky News 2024: Steve Wright in court charged with 1999 murder of teenager Victoria Hall