The wife of a convicted murderer has vowed to fight until his name is cleared.
Simon Hall was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003 for the murder of Capel St Mary pensioner Joan Albert, who was stabbed to death two years earlier.
The former East Bergolt High School pupil, now 32, has always vehemently protested his innocence.
And his wife Stephanie, whom he married in prison last December, has backed her husband since day one.
Now, the pair have been given a glimmer of hope by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body which investigates possible miscarriages of justice.
Based on fresh forensic analysis of fibre samples from the crime scene, the commission says there is a “real possibility that the court would quash the murder conviction”.
With just 4 per cent of applications to the CCRC granted the right to appeal, and 70 per cent of those convictions overturned, Simon and Stephanie are cautiously optimistic that he will be released.
Stephanie said she has never doubted her husband, whom she met when they worked at an electricity company in her home town of Ipswich.
“There was never a shadow of a doubt that they had the wrong guy,” she said.
“He didn't have it in him – he's too sensitive and kind.”
She added: “Of course people have judged me.
“But nobody understands what it's like unless they've been through it themselves.”
Stephanie explained that her relationship with Simon grew into love about five years ago.
“There was always a vibe between us at work,” she said.
“He was a good looking guy but was a bit younger than me and loved the girls!
“I’d always written to him in prison but then we started writing almost every day.
“We realised that the spark was real.”
She added: “At first he was very guarded. Going into prison had broken him and he had to put on a mask to pretend he was coping.
“But we fell in love through our letters and phone calls and he started opening up.”
While the couple's wedding day last December was far from the romantic ideal, Stephanie said it was “really special”.
She said: “We just had two witnesses and all the prison officers jangling their keys.
“We didn't have any music or food – just a cup of coffee from the machine.
“But saying our vows was really special and quite intense, looking into each others' eyes.
“Nothing was going to ruin our day.”
Stephanie says she has been astounded by the strength of character shown by her husband, who also used to work in a chemical company in Colchester's East Hill.
“He's an amazing guy,” she said.
“He has to battle to get through every day but his strength knows no bounds.”
She added that Simon has been downgraded from a category B prisoner to a category C, meaning that he presents less of a risk.
“He's done that through sheer hard work,” she said.
“He's also got enhanced prisoner status, which means he has been behaving himself.
“And he has got a job as a gardener.”
For Stephanie herself, life is a seemingly endless round of visits to Kingston Prison in Portsmouth to see her husband.
“Everything is about Simon and visiting him,” she said.
“There are times when I feel sorry for myself - he could be in prison for another six years.
“He's got his fight in there and I've got mine out here.
“But he appreciates everything I do for him.”
Now, the pair are focusing their attention on the future while they wait for an appeal date.
“Simon is going to be devastated if the appeal fails, but I have told him he can't think about 'what if',” she said.
“I am just hoping he won't have to spend another Christmas in prison.”
WEBSITE
Friends and family have also given Simon their backing.
They set up a website to highlight what they believe are the weaknesses in the prosecution case against him.
These include a lack of forensic and DNA evidence placing him at the scene of the crime.
Meanwhile, they stress that Simon had no motive for killing Mrs Albert, who was a friend of his mother Lynne.
Simon's controversial case has received high profile media attention, and was the subject of the BBC's Rough Justice programme in 2007.
It was also featured in the book No Smoke: The Shocking Truth about British Justice by Sandra Lean.
For more, visit caseblog.wronglyaccusedperson.org.uk/justice4simon
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