JIM HALL AND ANDREW VENTHAM LINKED TO MURDER OF DERICK TEMPEST IN GREAT YARMOUTH
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Great Yarmouth Sexual Abuser
In a tragic and disturbing case that has shocked the community of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, the death of 30-year-old Derick Tempest has been linked to a series of heinous crimes involving two men, Jim Hall and Andrew Ventham. The events unfolded after Mr. Tempest, who had been a victim of sexual abuse as a boy, decided to take a stand against his abusers by blackmailing them for money, which ultimately led to his death.
According to the findings presented at an inquest held in Great Yarmouth, Mr. Tempest had been subjected to abuse by Hall and Ventham when he was just 13 years old. The inquest revealed that the two men, who lived together in a terraced house in Great Yarmouth, had a history of inappropriate behavior with young males, and there was evidence suggesting they may have abused other boys as well.
In October of 2010, Mr. Tempest received payments of £1,000 and £800 from Hall and Ventham, respectively. These payments were reportedly made after Mr. Tempest saw the two men with other young boys, raising suspicions about their activities. The victim had planned to visit the garage operated by Hall, known as Hall’s Garage, on October 28, to demand more money, as he believed he was owed further compensation for the abuse he endured as a child.
Tragically, on that day, Mr. Tempest was last seen leaving his home in Great Yarmouth. His family reported him missing the following day, prompting police investigations into his disappearance. The police inquiry soon uncovered disturbing evidence linking Hall and Ventham to Mr. Tempest’s disappearance and subsequent death.
On November 2, police discovered the bodies of Hall and Ventham inside their garage, where they had apparently taken their own lives. The two men were found dead in a car filled with carbon monoxide fumes, with a note written by Hall indicating their intention to end their lives. The note read: “Sorry about this, but events have conspired against us.”
A witness who had earlier heard Hall and Ventham discussing threats against Mr. Tempest testified that they had spoken about warning him to stop demanding money, saying, “We will give him a gypsy’s warning. If we get any more s*** like this, he is going in the river.”
The body of Mr. Tempest was recovered from the River Yare near the Berney Arms pub, close to Great Yarmouth, on April 16. It was found by a family aboard a Norfolk Broads cruiser. The body was face down and weighed down with a heavy vehicle brake drum tied around his waist with a rope. Due to advanced decomposition, a post-mortem examination was unable to determine the exact cause of death.
Detective Inspector Marie James stated that there was “strong evidence” indicating Hall and Ventham had murdered Mr. Tempest. She explained that the Crown Prosecution Service believed they would have been charged with murder had they survived. Norfolk coroner William Armstrong recorded verdicts of unlawful killing for Mr. Tempest and suicide for both Hall and Ventham. In his remarks, the coroner described the case as “a sad, sorry, and sordid story,” emphasizing the extensive evidence of their inappropriate conduct with young males over many years and noting that Mr. Tempest had effectively been blackmailing them.
Coroner Armstrong dismissed the possibility that Mr. Tempest had taken his own life or accidentally fallen into the river. Instead, he concluded that Mr. Tempest’s death was unlawful, though he could not definitively state whether he drowned or was killed beforehand. The coroner clarified that the purpose of the inquest was not to assign responsibility but to establish the facts surrounding the death.
Mrs. Sarah Sherfield, Mr. Tempest’s partner of nine years, confirmed that he had confided in her about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Hall and Ventham when he was just 13. She recounted that Mr. Tempest had arrived home intoxicated in early October and told her he had visited the pair, discovering “two young boys” with them. She also revealed that he planned to visit Hall and Ventham the following day to collect £1,000 owed to him.
Mrs. Sherfield last saw Mr. Tempest when he left their home in Great Yarmouth on October 28 to go out for a drink. He did not return that night, and his mother reported him missing the next evening. On November 2, Mrs. Sherfield and her mother-in-law visited Hall’s Garage to inquire about Mr. Tempest’s whereabouts. They found a young boy, approximately 11 or 12 years old, but no sign of Mr. Tempest or any other individuals.
Friends of Mr. Tempest provided further insight into his activities and intentions. Paul McKenna, a close friend, stated that Mr. Tempest had told him he was going to the garage “to get some money” after a night out. McKenna added that Mr. Tempest had mentioned visiting the garage to collect money from the men, implying that he was involved in some form of extortion or blackmail. Another friend, David Philpott, said Mr. Tempest had given him £100 to accompany him to the garage, and that Mr. Tempest had spoken about Hall and Ventham trying to “entice him into a park” when he was younger.
Additional testimonies revealed that Mr. Tempest had confided in friends about past abuse and threats. Simon Hill, another friend, confirmed that Mr. Tempest had received money from him in exchange for accompanying him to pick up £800 from the garage. Hill also stated that Mr. Tempest had acknowledged “something bad” had happened to him in the past. Stephen Rowley, a third friend, recounted that Mr. Tempest had told him how Hall and Ventham had “tried it on with him.”
On the day of the discovery, Steven Catchpole, who did odd jobs at the garage, found the gates shut with a note saying “Back in 30 minutes, Jim.” When he forced his way inside after hearing a car engine, he found both Hall and Ventham dead in the front seats of a Fiat car, having apparently died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The police investigation recovered forensic evidence suggesting Mr. Tempest had “come to significant harm” at the garage, with some evidence pointing to the involvement of a fire extinguisher, though authorities have not confirmed whether he was physically assaulted.
Detective Inspector James concluded that police had not previously received complaints about Hall and Ventham abusing children before their deaths. However, after their deaths, information emerged indicating their involvement in “inappropriate behavior” with young boys. The case remains a stark reminder of the tragic consequences of abuse, blackmail, and the failure to intervene earlier in a series of deeply troubling events that have left the community of Great Yarmouth mourning and seeking justice.
According to the findings presented at an inquest held in Great Yarmouth, Mr. Tempest had been subjected to abuse by Hall and Ventham when he was just 13 years old. The inquest revealed that the two men, who lived together in a terraced house in Great Yarmouth, had a history of inappropriate behavior with young males, and there was evidence suggesting they may have abused other boys as well.
In October of 2010, Mr. Tempest received payments of £1,000 and £800 from Hall and Ventham, respectively. These payments were reportedly made after Mr. Tempest saw the two men with other young boys, raising suspicions about their activities. The victim had planned to visit the garage operated by Hall, known as Hall’s Garage, on October 28, to demand more money, as he believed he was owed further compensation for the abuse he endured as a child.
Tragically, on that day, Mr. Tempest was last seen leaving his home in Great Yarmouth. His family reported him missing the following day, prompting police investigations into his disappearance. The police inquiry soon uncovered disturbing evidence linking Hall and Ventham to Mr. Tempest’s disappearance and subsequent death.
On November 2, police discovered the bodies of Hall and Ventham inside their garage, where they had apparently taken their own lives. The two men were found dead in a car filled with carbon monoxide fumes, with a note written by Hall indicating their intention to end their lives. The note read: “Sorry about this, but events have conspired against us.”
A witness who had earlier heard Hall and Ventham discussing threats against Mr. Tempest testified that they had spoken about warning him to stop demanding money, saying, “We will give him a gypsy’s warning. If we get any more s*** like this, he is going in the river.”
The body of Mr. Tempest was recovered from the River Yare near the Berney Arms pub, close to Great Yarmouth, on April 16. It was found by a family aboard a Norfolk Broads cruiser. The body was face down and weighed down with a heavy vehicle brake drum tied around his waist with a rope. Due to advanced decomposition, a post-mortem examination was unable to determine the exact cause of death.
Detective Inspector Marie James stated that there was “strong evidence” indicating Hall and Ventham had murdered Mr. Tempest. She explained that the Crown Prosecution Service believed they would have been charged with murder had they survived. Norfolk coroner William Armstrong recorded verdicts of unlawful killing for Mr. Tempest and suicide for both Hall and Ventham. In his remarks, the coroner described the case as “a sad, sorry, and sordid story,” emphasizing the extensive evidence of their inappropriate conduct with young males over many years and noting that Mr. Tempest had effectively been blackmailing them.
Coroner Armstrong dismissed the possibility that Mr. Tempest had taken his own life or accidentally fallen into the river. Instead, he concluded that Mr. Tempest’s death was unlawful, though he could not definitively state whether he drowned or was killed beforehand. The coroner clarified that the purpose of the inquest was not to assign responsibility but to establish the facts surrounding the death.
Mrs. Sarah Sherfield, Mr. Tempest’s partner of nine years, confirmed that he had confided in her about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Hall and Ventham when he was just 13. She recounted that Mr. Tempest had arrived home intoxicated in early October and told her he had visited the pair, discovering “two young boys” with them. She also revealed that he planned to visit Hall and Ventham the following day to collect £1,000 owed to him.
Mrs. Sherfield last saw Mr. Tempest when he left their home in Great Yarmouth on October 28 to go out for a drink. He did not return that night, and his mother reported him missing the next evening. On November 2, Mrs. Sherfield and her mother-in-law visited Hall’s Garage to inquire about Mr. Tempest’s whereabouts. They found a young boy, approximately 11 or 12 years old, but no sign of Mr. Tempest or any other individuals.
Friends of Mr. Tempest provided further insight into his activities and intentions. Paul McKenna, a close friend, stated that Mr. Tempest had told him he was going to the garage “to get some money” after a night out. McKenna added that Mr. Tempest had mentioned visiting the garage to collect money from the men, implying that he was involved in some form of extortion or blackmail. Another friend, David Philpott, said Mr. Tempest had given him £100 to accompany him to the garage, and that Mr. Tempest had spoken about Hall and Ventham trying to “entice him into a park” when he was younger.
Additional testimonies revealed that Mr. Tempest had confided in friends about past abuse and threats. Simon Hill, another friend, confirmed that Mr. Tempest had received money from him in exchange for accompanying him to pick up £800 from the garage. Hill also stated that Mr. Tempest had acknowledged “something bad” had happened to him in the past. Stephen Rowley, a third friend, recounted that Mr. Tempest had told him how Hall and Ventham had “tried it on with him.”
On the day of the discovery, Steven Catchpole, who did odd jobs at the garage, found the gates shut with a note saying “Back in 30 minutes, Jim.” When he forced his way inside after hearing a car engine, he found both Hall and Ventham dead in the front seats of a Fiat car, having apparently died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The police investigation recovered forensic evidence suggesting Mr. Tempest had “come to significant harm” at the garage, with some evidence pointing to the involvement of a fire extinguisher, though authorities have not confirmed whether he was physically assaulted.
Detective Inspector James concluded that police had not previously received complaints about Hall and Ventham abusing children before their deaths. However, after their deaths, information emerged indicating their involvement in “inappropriate behavior” with young boys. The case remains a stark reminder of the tragic consequences of abuse, blackmail, and the failure to intervene earlier in a series of deeply troubling events that have left the community of Great Yarmouth mourning and seeking justice.