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| Stuart Hall: 'Opportunistic predator' led secret life as serial sex offender | Stuart Hall: 'Opportunistic predator' led secret life as serial sex offender |
| (7 days later) | |
| Stuart Hall's secret life as a serial sex offender was exposed on Thursday as the veteran BBC broadcaster admitted 14 offences involving 13 victims dating back to the late 1960s, including an assault on a nine-year-old girl. | Stuart Hall's secret life as a serial sex offender was exposed on Thursday as the veteran BBC broadcaster admitted 14 offences involving 13 victims dating back to the late 1960s, including an assault on a nine-year-old girl. |
| Hall, now 83, confronted one girl in the staff quarters of a hotel within minutes of her being chosen to be a cheerleader on his television programme, It's a Knockout, and he kissed a 13-year-old girl on the lips after telling her: "People need to show thanks in other ways." | Hall, now 83, confronted one girl in the staff quarters of a hotel within minutes of her being chosen to be a cheerleader on his television programme, It's a Knockout, and he kissed a 13-year-old girl on the lips after telling her: "People need to show thanks in other ways." |
| The first of the indecent assaults was in 1968, the last in 1986. The oldest of his victims was 17. Each was a one-off, and in some cases their parents were aware at the time but held back from reporting the radio and television star to the police. | The first of the indecent assaults was in 1968, the last in 1986. The oldest of his victims was 17. Each was a one-off, and in some cases their parents were aware at the time but held back from reporting the radio and television star to the police. |
| Hall was condemned by the prosecution as an "opportunistic predator". | Hall was condemned by the prosecution as an "opportunistic predator". |
| His barrister, Crispin Aylett, told Preston crown court: "He is not a man easily moved to self-pity, but he is only too aware that his disgrace is complete." | His barrister, Crispin Aylett, told Preston crown court: "He is not a man easily moved to self-pity, but he is only too aware that his disgrace is complete." |
| On Thursday one of Hall's victims spoke of her trauma at being assaulted by him as she returned to the staff quarters of a hotel she was working in as a 17-year-old. The woman, who had just been selected as a cheerleader for an edition of It's a Knockout, turned when she heard a voice behind her. | On Thursday one of Hall's victims spoke of her trauma at being assaulted by him as she returned to the staff quarters of a hotel she was working in as a 17-year-old. The woman, who had just been selected as a cheerleader for an edition of It's a Knockout, turned when she heard a voice behind her. |
| "It was him," she told ITV News, "and he started talking to me. He grabbed hold of me and he started kissing me and then he tried to force himself on me. I struggled, I tried to push him away, and it was only the fact that there was someone walking along the corridor and the floors creaked that he stopped and I managed to get away." | "It was him," she told ITV News, "and he started talking to me. He grabbed hold of me and he started kissing me and then he tried to force himself on me. I struggled, I tried to push him away, and it was only the fact that there was someone walking along the corridor and the floors creaked that he stopped and I managed to get away." |
| She added: "I will never, ever forget that voice … over the years every time I've heard his voice on the television, on the radio, I just think 'How can you do it, how can you be like that in full view of everyone after everything you've done?'" | She added: "I will never, ever forget that voice … over the years every time I've heard his voice on the television, on the radio, I just think 'How can you do it, how can you be like that in full view of everyone after everything you've done?'" |
| Hall's courtroom admission came on the day the BBC published a highly critical report, commissioned in response to the Jimmy Savile scandal, which concluded a "climate of anxiety and fear" had developed at the broadcaster where some senior employees were awarded promotions despite being accused of sexual harassment. | Hall's courtroom admission came on the day the BBC published a highly critical report, commissioned in response to the Jimmy Savile scandal, which concluded a "climate of anxiety and fear" had developed at the broadcaster where some senior employees were awarded promotions despite being accused of sexual harassment. |
| Such was the tone of the review that the BBC's new director general admitted it made for "uncomfortable reading". Tony Hall, in a memo to staff, added: "We need to be honest about our shortcomings and single minded in addressing them". He said the BBC would scrap so-called gagging clauses in staff contracts to make it easier for disgruntled employees to air their concerns. | Such was the tone of the review that the BBC's new director general admitted it made for "uncomfortable reading". Tony Hall, in a memo to staff, added: "We need to be honest about our shortcomings and single minded in addressing them". He said the BBC would scrap so-called gagging clauses in staff contracts to make it easier for disgruntled employees to air their concerns. |
| The review, conducted by human rights barrister Dinah Rose QC, heard examples of stars, in some cases described as "renowned" individuals, and experts invited to contribute to programmes behaving inappropriately, and other situations where talent agents were the most difficult and demanded special treatment. | The review, conducted by human rights barrister Dinah Rose QC, heard examples of stars, in some cases described as "renowned" individuals, and experts invited to contribute to programmes behaving inappropriately, and other situations where talent agents were the most difficult and demanded special treatment. |
| However, although there had been 37 complaints of sexual harassment at the BBC over the last six years, there were no current instances of abuse by famous names. | However, although there had been 37 complaints of sexual harassment at the BBC over the last six years, there were no current instances of abuse by famous names. |
| Hall, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, fought desperately to avoid the ruin and disgrace that he knew his convictions would bring. Three months ago he stood outside Preston crown court and dismissed the allegations against him as "pernicious, callous, cruel and, above all, spurious". | Hall, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, fought desperately to avoid the ruin and disgrace that he knew his convictions would bring. Three months ago he stood outside Preston crown court and dismissed the allegations against him as "pernicious, callous, cruel and, above all, spurious". |
| Standing beside his then lawyer, Louise Straw, he questioned why the allegations against him had taken so long to surface. "The last two months of my life have been a living nightmare," he said. | Standing beside his then lawyer, Louise Straw, he questioned why the allegations against him had taken so long to surface. "The last two months of my life have been a living nightmare," he said. |
| On Thursday Hall was mobbed by a media scrum on those same steps after it emerged that he had changed his pleas to guilty on the vast majority of the charges. The volte-face was actually made on 16 April, but could only be revealed on Thursday when the judge lifted reporting restrictions banning publication because a further trial of broadcaster had been due to take place. | On Thursday Hall was mobbed by a media scrum on those same steps after it emerged that he had changed his pleas to guilty on the vast majority of the charges. The volte-face was actually made on 16 April, but could only be revealed on Thursday when the judge lifted reporting restrictions banning publication because a further trial of broadcaster had been due to take place. |
| Until Thursday morning Hall, who was awarded an OBE in the 2012 new year honours list, appeared ready to face trial over an allegation that he raped a 22-year-old woman in 1976. Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, told the court that following Hall's earlier admissions of guilt the rest of the case had been revisited. | Until Thursday morning Hall, who was awarded an OBE in the 2012 new year honours list, appeared ready to face trial over an allegation that he raped a 22-year-old woman in 1976. Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, told the court that following Hall's earlier admissions of guilt the rest of the case had been revisited. |
| As a result it had been decided not to proceed to trial on the rape charge. The decision, he said, had been taken "at the highest level" of the Crown Prosecution Service, and with "the full approval" of the complainant. The rape charge will lie on file, with three other allegations of indecent assault. | As a result it had been decided not to proceed to trial on the rape charge. The decision, he said, had been taken "at the highest level" of the Crown Prosecution Service, and with "the full approval" of the complainant. The rape charge will lie on file, with three other allegations of indecent assault. |
| Hall, wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and striped tie, cut a forlorn figure in Court 10 as his barrister offered words of mitigation. Aylett said the first of Hall's offences had come "almost half a century ago" and that the investigation by Lancashire police had come "as a particularly bitter blow at this stage in his life". | Hall, wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and striped tie, cut a forlorn figure in Court 10 as his barrister offered words of mitigation. Aylett said the first of Hall's offences had come "almost half a century ago" and that the investigation by Lancashire police had come "as a particularly bitter blow at this stage in his life". |
| Nazir Afzal, chief prosecutor for north-west England, described Hall as "an opportunistic predator" who had attacked his young victims across three decades. Almost all the girls had provided "strikingly similar accounts" to police, said Afzal. | Nazir Afzal, chief prosecutor for north-west England, described Hall as "an opportunistic predator" who had attacked his young victims across three decades. Almost all the girls had provided "strikingly similar accounts" to police, said Afzal. |
| "Whether in public or private, Hall would first approach under friendly pretences and then bide his time until the victim was isolated," he added. | "Whether in public or private, Hall would first approach under friendly pretences and then bide his time until the victim was isolated," he added. |
| Hall was suspended by the BBC, where he provided football match reports for Radio 5 Live, when the allegations against him surfaced last December. On Thursday he was sacked with immediate effect. | Hall was suspended by the BBC, where he provided football match reports for Radio 5 Live, when the allegations against him surfaced last December. On Thursday he was sacked with immediate effect. |
| A corporation spokesman said: "The BBC is appalled by the disgraceful actions of Stuart Hall and we would like to express our sympathy to his victims. We will continue to work with the police to assist them in this and any other inquiries they are making." | A corporation spokesman said: "The BBC is appalled by the disgraceful actions of Stuart Hall and we would like to express our sympathy to his victims. We will continue to work with the police to assist them in this and any other inquiries they are making." |
| Asked whether any of the attacks had taken place on BBC premises, the spokesman said: "The BBC has, and will continue to work with the police on all of this. We are providing the police with any assistance we can." | Asked whether any of the attacks had taken place on BBC premises, the spokesman said: "The BBC has, and will continue to work with the police on all of this. We are providing the police with any assistance we can." |
| Judge Anthony Russell told Hall he would be sentenced on 17 June. "All sentencing options, including custody, will be available to the court. I genuinely have not made up my mind," he said. | Judge Anthony Russell told Hall he would be sentenced on 17 June. "All sentencing options, including custody, will be available to the court. I genuinely have not made up my mind," he said. |
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