UPDATE on Justice 4 Simon - March 2010
Dear all,I hope this finds you all well.
It seems like a lifetime since I last wrote for this website (J4S) but I feel that the time has come to update everyone.
You will all be aware that Simon has been granted his appeal and has his first Directional Meeting on the 10th of March 2010. The actual Appeal should follow soon after.
The legal system is all-powerful and it takes nothing short of human miracles to overturn wrongful convictions. The pressures to surmount are huge and people rarely know how to act or cope with the consequences attached to Miscarriages of Justice.
I am extremely proud of the years I spent fighting with Simon’s Mother to try and overturn his conviction but unfortunately, after so long, the pressures and frustrations got to us all and abruptly brought our alliance to an end.
This was a very sad and difficult time for us. After Simon’s conviction, I believed the experiences we’d been through would seal us all together forever.
Luckily for us all, the wheels of justice were in motion by then and we had established such a powerful legal and support team for Simon that I could rest a little in the knowledge that it was then only a question of time before he came home.
On the day that Simon was granted his appeal by the CCRC, the emotions were so powerful that the pressures and disagreements the family and I encountered seemed to evaporate.
Our shared goal brought us back together and we congratulated each other on our achievement. None of us had ever taken our eyes off the ball and it could only end this way.
Since the announcement was made in Oct 2009, Simon’s mother and I have worked very hard at reigniting the flame that was between us when we gave up our lives to fight for justice. Did it ever really go out?
I’m not sure but the most important thing is that we are getting ready to unite again and support each other for the final hurdle.
Simon Hall was convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, and that is the reason why his family, friends and I fought so hard for so many years. I believe that we reached a point where Simon’s credibility was restored and where he was finally recognised as an innocent man by much of the public. How far we have come..
This is a situation, like so many others, where it is very difficult for anyone to understand the dynamics and motivations unless they have themselves been through it. Before I met Simon Hall, I had no idea that Miscarriages of Justice happened.
I am disappointed that my relationship with Simon has broken down as far as it has but I have to take into account the fact that he has been isolated for so long and may have a limited understanding of our reality on the outside. I hope Simon realises that nothing has changed and that we all still want justice.
I am not trying to take away from Simon’s suffering or the fact that he has been the one locked up for so many years now. However, I believe that there is more than one victim when Miscarriages of Justice happen.
Let’s not forget Mrs Albert. I pray that the police finally start looking for the real criminal so that she can rest in peace. She and her family were always in our hearts when we ran Justice 4 Simon.
I had no contact with Simon since leaving his campaign and then on the news of his appeal, I wrote to him to congratulate him on this and his wedding.
I felt very sad when I received a phone call a few days ago from Simons’ new wife, requesting that I do not attend the appeal and still wonder about the reasons behind this. The words “you have hassled Simon” and “injunction” were mentioned and I was completely taken aback by these comments.
I will be announcing the date of the appeal on Insidedoubt and hope to see as many familiar faces there as I can. It has been a long and rocky road and we can finally see the end. The appeal hearing is the final stage and I know I speak for all of Simon’s supporters when I say how glad we will be when his day comes.
Everything that is about to unfold in front of us is down to all of us. Fighting this awful Miscarriage of Justice has been an incredible experience and I pray that the next few months reveal the truth and nothing but.
I have no doubt in my mind that Simon’s conviction will be quashed on the day of the appeal and that he will be free to live his life again.
Steffie
Thank you all again for your support over the years and below is my personal list of thanks.
I couldn’t have done it without you all
Thank you to, my Family, Mum, Dad, Oli, I love you more than words can say
My friends, Andy, Danya, Steve, all the kids/family, you are my world and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.
Carl, our baby angel in the sky for showing me light.
Mr D, my saviour, my inspiration, my force, my Ray Winston J.
Keith and Barri, for giving me hope. I’ll never forget your day in court.
Paul B, I love you forever
Mike O’Brien, my wonderful Welsh friend
Thank you to Simon’s family, we had some great times and there are more to come
Lee, you understand me…
Phoebe, supa gal, love you baby girl
John Hatton “aka” tonton John, you had faith in me from the word go, you’re amazing, amazing, amazing!
Andrew and Ann at Innocent, so much advice, so much comfort and support.
Mr Campbell Malone, no words can describe you or how grateful I am
Mr Peter Bull, the “forensic for dummies” really helped, thank you for everything
Mr Allan Jamieson, a generous and kind man.
Chris Mole, Bob Russell and Chris Magee, for the support, the work, the faith and the credibility
Mr Naughton, my moody mate J and the students for their hard work
Mr Michael Mansfield, Simon does not look like Beckham!
Nick Rigby, my pal at the BBC
Danielle Nutall, a tough cookie to crumble. Like me
My old colleagues and my boss Sue, for letting me do work when I needed to and for all the support.
To every single supporter who ever wrote to me and comforted me, trusted me and in turn, Simon, thank you.
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