PETER HALL'S HORRIFIC CRIME SPREE IN MANCHESTER LEAVES COMMUNITY SHOCKED

In a chilling sequence of events that unfolded in Manchester, a man named Peter Hall committed a series of brutal murders that shocked the local community and left investigators grappling with the horrifying details of his crimes.

It all began with Hall, a 34-year-old heating engineer residing on Moss Shaw Way in Radcliffe, who was identified by police as the prime suspect shortly after the tragic discovery of the victims' bodies. The Manchester Crown Court later sentenced him to three life terms for his heinous acts, which included the murder of his girlfriend, Celeste Bates, and her two young children.

Hall's violence was fueled by jealousy and fear of losing Celeste, a woman he had recently become involved with after their meeting at a Christmas disco held at the Last Drop Hotel in Bromley Cross. Celeste, aged 31, had separated from her husband, Ian Bates, nine months prior to her death. Hall, who had not maintained a steady relationship for several years, became infatuated with her, placing her on a pedestal. However, friends later described his feelings as increasingly obsessive, which would ultimately lead to tragedy.

On the day of the murders, Hall's actions revealed a disturbing pattern of brutality and detachment. After a violent altercation with Celeste, during which he battered her with an ornamental iron and stabbed her eight times, she succumbed to her injuries. A post-mortem later confirmed that any of the blows could have been fatal. Hall then drove back to Radcliffe, where he meticulously washed himself and changed his clothing, as if attempting to erase evidence of his crime.

His next target was Celeste's eight-year-old son, Daniel. Hall lured the boy into his own bedroom at his home in Radcliffe and proceeded to batter him to death with a pickaxe handle. In a further act of cruelty, he killed Daniel's pet hamster by throwing it against a wall. After completing these murders, Hall again washed himself thoroughly in his home, displaying a disturbing level of composure.

Without showing any remorse, Hall then traveled to High View Nursery in Sharples to collect Milo, Celeste's 17-month-old son. Staff at the nursery, unaware of his intentions, handed Milo over to him without suspicion. Upon returning home, Hall used the same weapon to batter the infant to death, with post-mortem examinations confirming multiple head injuries as the cause of death.

Following the murders, Hall's behavior grew increasingly bizarre. He washed himself once more and then proceeded to the nearby King William IV pub, where he boasted to the patrons that he would soon be famous. His comments, made in a seemingly casual manner, were initially dismissed by the regulars as drunken bravado. However, the horrifying truth behind his words only became clear the following day, when the full extent of his crimes was revealed.

Detectives, led by Detective Superintendent Mick Gorrill of Bolton CID, quickly identified Hall as the perpetrator. Gorrill stated, “No one else was ever suspected of the murder. Only one man could possibly have carried out that awful crime.” The investigation confirmed that Hall was the sole individual responsible for the brutal killings, which shocked the entire Manchester area.

Hall's motives appeared rooted in his fear that Celeste would return to her estranged husband, Ian Bates. His actions, driven by jealousy and obsession, culminated in a series of murders that displayed a disturbing lack of remorse or empathy. The community and authorities alike were left to grapple with the horror of a crime so cold-blooded and calculated, committed by a man who, moments before his arrest, believed he would soon be celebrated in the media for his violent deeds.