TV documentary on murder doubts

The case has been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission

A special BBC Rough Justice documentary is due to feature the campaign to clear the name of a man jailed for murdering a pensioner in Suffolk.

Simon Hall, 29, from Ipswich, was jailed for life in 2003 for murdering Joan Albert, 79, of Capel St Mary.

On 12 April, a BBC documentary will look at how students at Bristol University are gathering evidence to help his case.

The programme is also expected to feature new forensic evidence.

Hall's mother Lynne Hall welcomed the new documentary.

"I think the film has a powerful image of Simon's dilemma in having to fight a system that doesn't allow or recognise miscarriages of justice," she said.

Stephanie Bon, a spokeswoman for Justice4Simon campaign, said: "We are very grateful to BBC Rough Justice and to Bristol's Innocence Project for their contributions and attempt in highlighting the flaws in Simon's case.

Joan Albert was found dead in the hallway of her home

"We hope that it will help raise Simon's profile as well as the fact that miscarriages of justice happen everyday and to anyone."

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, 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.

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

But detectives believed fibres from black trousers found at the scene, in his car and in a cupboard at his parent's home, tied 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 of the murder.