Killer of Romford teen Luke Harwood has appeal rejected by top judges
Emma Hall - Credit: central news
An angel-faced killer jailed for the revenge murder of Romford teenager Luke Harwood had her bid to clear her name rejected by top judges today.
Luke Harwood - Credit: Archant
Emma Jayne Hall, 23, was one of three convicted of murdering 18-year-old Luke Harwood, who was stamped to death after being falsely accused of raping a teenage girl in 2012.
Also guilty were Hall’s boyfriend, Tony O’Toole, 32, and ringleader, James Danby, 29. They were convicted in April 2013 and jailed for life.
London’s Appeal Court heard Hall and O’Toole were living together in Crow Lane, Romford, when Luke moved in in May 2012.
He was pointed out as a man accused of raping a younger acquaintance of Hall and beaten savagely.
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Danby, who was present, beat Luke senseless before taking him with O’Toole and Hall in a car to an alleyway in Woodford Green.
Hall, the driver, stayed in the car while Luke was taken out of sight and stamped to death by Danby.
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Whereas Danby was convicted of killing Luke with his “shod feet”, the others were convicted on the basis of their joint enterprise involvement.
Danby and O’Toole had their conviction challenges rejected by the Appeal Court in November.
However, Hall’s case came before the court after she challenged the safety of the jury’s guilty verdict.
She watched proceedings by live video link from jail.
Max Hill QC, for Hall, of Crow Lane, said her lawyers had been denied the chance to quiz a potentially important witness at trial.
There was also question marks over the extent of Hall’s knowledge about the background to the murder.
After a two-hour hearing, Lord Justice Burnett rejected her appeal.
The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Gilbart and Judge Richard Griffith-Jones, said: “The appeal will be dismissed, we will give our reasons in writing later”.
