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A woman who encountered serial killer Steve Wright has revealed how she armed herself with a stick and hid to escape a frightening close call. Emily Doherty was walking home from a nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in the early hours of 18 September 1999, when Wright attempted to abduct her.
During an earlier court hearing, it was detailed that Emily, who was 22 years old at the time, managed to flee from Wright and find refuge inside a nearby house. This terrifying event occurred just one day before the disappearance of another victim, Victoria Hall. The timeline of when this incident was first reported to Suffolk Police or when it was acted upon remains unclear, with police yet to provide any comment.
Steve Wright is already serving a whole-life sentence for the murders of five women in the Ipswich area in December 2006. These victims were Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, and Annette Nicholls. Emily’s testimony was presented at a previous hearing at the Old Bailey in June and was attended by the BBC, making the details public for the first time. Wright’s defense team had claimed there was insufficient evidence to prove an attempted kidnapping, but the judge rejected this argument.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC described how Emily had become frightened after her encounter with Wright. According to the court, Emily had separated from her friends near High Road East and noticed a car parked on Picketts Road with the driver’s door open and the engine running. Initially thinking Wright was urinating, she quickly felt unsettled by the look he gave her. She ran, grabbed a stick, and crouched down in a garden to hide. Ledward explained that Wright drove around the area multiple times, clearly searching for Emily, and even came very close to her while on foot, saying, “All right?” The court was told Wright was close enough to seize her but too far from his car to complete the abduction. The encounter ended when a concerned homeowner invited Emily indoors, providing her safety. The judge concluded that Wright’s approach on foot demonstrated he had moved from planning to attempting the crime.
Wright was charged with these offenses in 2024 and initially pleaded not guilty before changing his plea. Victoria Hall, from Trimley St Mary, was last seen at the Bandbox nightclub on 19 September 1999 before she was abducted and murdered. Her body was recovered five days later in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles away. A Felixstowe businessman was originally tried for Victoria’s murder in 2001 but was acquitted after a brief jury deliberation. Following the latest hearing, Suffolk Police expressed satisfaction at having achieved justice for both Victoria and Emily. Wright’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday at the Old Bailey
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