14 Facts About Archibald Hall

Archibald Hall served his first jail sentence for attempting to sell jewellery in London that he had stolen in Scotland.

In 1975, Archibald Hall was released from prison and returned to Scotland.

Archibald Hall began working as butler to Margaret, Lady Hudson, a dowager who lived at Kirtleton House, Dumfriesshire.

Archibald Hall initially planned to steal her valuables but he never carried this out when he realised that he liked both his job and employer too much.

Archibald Hall took Wright on a rabbit hunt in a trick attempt at coming to an amicable solution.

Archibald Hall soon left his job after Lady Hudson discovered his criminal past.

Archibald Hall's plan was to rob the couple of their money and retire, but in the end, he killed both of them after Dorothy Scott-Elliot walked in on Archibald Hall and an accomplice, Michael Kitto, as the two men were discussing their plans.

Once Donald was tied up, Archibald Hall used chloroform to incapacitate him before drowning him in the bath.

However, Archibald Hall had made Kitto replace the car's number plate which contained three 9s, because he believed it was unlucky: this meant the tax disc and the number plate did not match.

Kitto was arrested but Archibald Hall escaped through a lavatory window.

Archibald Hall was captured at a police roadblock in nearby Haddington.

Archibald Hall survived a suicide attempt while in custody, before revealing the whereabouts of the three buried victims.

Police said in evidence that Kitto was, in a perverted way, fortunate to be able to go on trial, as Archibald Hall was planning to kill him too.

Archibald Hall died of a stroke in Kingston Prison, Portsmouth, in 2002 at the age of 78.