Petition seeks murder case review

The case has been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission

A group campaigning against a murder conviction has collected 1000 signatures in support of a review.

Simon Hall, from Ipswich, Suffolk, was jailed for life in 2003 for murdering Joan Albert, 79, of Capel St Mary.

His case is with the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Justice4Simon group have now passed the petition to Ipswich MP Chris Mole.

Forensic expert Dr Peter Bull of Oxford University said fibres linking him to the murder raised concerns in his mind.

Fibres found

Spokeswoman for campaign Stephanie Bon said: "We consider that our case has now become a public interest issue.

"We request the full cooperation from the Police Force and other agencies associated to the investigation as well as a review of this case," she said.

The trial heard Mrs Albert was murdered in the early hours in December 2001.

Hall had been out drinking with friends in Ipswich and had an alibi for almost the entire night and early morning when she died, except between 0530 and 0615 GMT.

The police contended that after driving to a house to drop a friend off in Ipswich, Hall then drove to Capel St Mary and parked his car closed to 79-year-old Mrs Albert's home.

Police said Hall, who is well-built and more than 6ft (1.82m) tall, got in through a 14-inch (35.5cm) wide window.

At his trial, the jury was told fingerprints, footprints and DNA evidence found at the murder scene did not match Hall's.

But detectives believe fibres, from black trousers, found at the scene, in his car and in a cupboard at his parent's home, tie him to the murder.

This is disputed by Hall's family, who say he never wore those type of trousers and was wearing blue ones on the night.