In a chilling incident, a frightened young woman defended herself with a stick and sought refuge as serial killer Steve Wright nearly abducted her on the street. Emily Doherty, 22 at the time, was walking home in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on September 18, 1999, when Wright made a grab for her. Wright, aged 67, confessed to attempting to kidnap Emily and to the kidnap and murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall during a court hearing at the Old Bailey.
According to court proceedings from last June, Emily managed to escape from Wright and took shelter in a nearby house. Wright, after exiting his vehicle, approached Emily closely before returning to his car. This incident occurred just a day before Victoria’s disappearance.
Emily noticed a parked car with its driver’s door open and engine running on Picketts Road after leaving her friends near High Road East. Initially assuming Wright was urinating, Emily became alarmed by his demeanor. She quickly ran, grabbed a stick, and hid in a nearby garden on her hands and knees.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC revealed that Wright’s actions indicated he was attempting to stay close as he drove from Picketts Road to Park Avenue, a cul-de-sac. He repeatedly circled back past Emily’s hiding spot, demonstrating his intent to seize her.
The homeowner eventually invited Emily inside, ending her ordeal. Mr. Justice Bennathan concluded that by approaching Emily on foot, Wright had progressed beyond mere preparation for a kidnapping, indicating an attempted crime. Wright faced charges in 2024 and initially pleaded not guilty.
Victoria, from Trimley St Mary, who was later found murdered after disappearing from a nightclub in 1999, had her case reopened by Suffolk Police in 2019. Wright is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of five other women in Ipswich in 2006.
Despite Wright’s legal team’s arguments, a judge ruled against them regarding the attempted kidnapping. The authorities expressed satisfaction in delivering justice for both Victoria and Emily during Monday’s court hearing. Wright is set to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday.
