Maddison Hall

Case details

Maddison Hall was born Noel Crompton in 1964. He was an Australian HIV-positive transsexual.

The offence

In 1987, Hall shot and killed hitchhiker Lyn Saunders at Gol Gol, New South Wales. Hall killed Lyn Saunders after giving him a lift following a row.

Lyn Saunders was 28. She was shot in the back, and when that did not kill him, the shortened shotgun was put in his mouth and the back of his head was blown off.

Justice Kep Enderby said there were "no mitigating circumstances."

Investigation

The murder featured on the TV show "Australia's Most Wanted" and it was 18 months before police would arrest Lyn's killer.

An anonymous woman called in to name Noel Crompton Hall. At the time, Hall was 26 and living with his wife Sharon in Campbelltown.

Police told Marrion Saunders that she had to ring detectives at Broken Hill.

Arrest

Police arrested Noel Crompton Hall.

Trial

Hall was jailed for life for murdering Lyn Saunders.

Sentencing

Hall’s life sentence was cut to 22 years with 16 years and six months non-parole.

Prison history

Hall began hormone treatment while in prison.

In August 1999, the Serious Offenders Management Committee recommended that Hall be moved to the all-woman Mulawa prison.

Although still a man, Hall was on hormone treatment.

In 1999, Hall was transferred to a women’s prison, Mulawa Correctional Centre.

In 2003, Hall underwent sex reassignment surgery while in prison.

At Mulawa, it was alleged that Hall had sexual relations with several female prisoners. These allegations resulted in Hall being returned to a male prison after 3 months.

Hall was charged with rape in relation to one incident, but the charge was dropped because the victim left the country upon being released from prison in fear of her safety.

Hall claimed he belonged in a female jail. Hall described the feeling after sex reassignment surgery on the Gender Centre’s website.

Hall said:

"While I didn't wake up as Elle McPherson (sic), I did wake up with a feeling of completeness that was lacking in my life previously. I woke up as me, Maddison."

In the period following 2004, prison officials described allegations of sexual offending while Hall was incarcerated. Hall was in strict segregation since 2004 following sexual assault claims.

Courts have been told he prostituted himself for drugs.

Hall sued the Department of Corrective Services claiming psychological trauma and won a $25,000 out-of-court settlement.

Hall had applied to return to the Supreme Court in November 2001 to have his life sentence redetermined under Truth in Sentencing laws. He appeared as a beefy man, bulked up by pumping iron in prison gyms. The court heard Hall was polite and had taken up craft work using recycled materials.

Marrion Saunders was described as being disgusted and distressed at psychiatric reports that focused on Hall’s female side.

A forensic psychiatrist wrote:

"Ms Hall's only psychiatric diagnosis is gender identity disorder, trans-sexual type,"
"The successful adoption of female identity and the continuation of treatment with hormones may well reduce her aggressiveness."

Marrion Saunders told of her psychiatrist’s view:

"He taught me how to survive,"
"Your son's killer was a violent and brutal man. He will continue to be a violent and brutal woman."

Parole

Hall applied for parole as soon as his minimum sentence ran out in January 2006 and the State Parole Authority was about to grant it.

Hall had been in strict segregation since 2004 due to serious assaults on other prisoners.

Parole was revoked.

Hall appeared via videolink with a blonde bouffant hairdo when parole was revoked. Hall had no work or accommodation to go to.

As a registered victim, Marrion Saunders was informed about parole hearings and invited to make submissions. She later said that when she started criticising the authority, attitudes changed. She said that instead of automatically receiving transcripts of Hall’s hearings, she was told they cost $10 a page.

Marrion Saunders said:

"Hall did a terrible crime and if dreadful criminals' behaviour could be assuaged by the addition of oestrogen, I'm sure it would be prescribed,"

She also said of her fear:

"I can't get my head around the fact that Hall is a woman now. No woman would have done what he did to Lyn,"

Hall’s parole conditions included not contacting the Saunders family or Hall’s own ex-wife and family.

Hall was granted parole in 2006, about 6 years before the expire of his head sentence.

The State Parole Authority later rescinded Hall’s parole because the original decision to grant parole was inappropriate as it failed to take into account community safety.

Amongst issues considered by both the State Parole Authority and the NSW Supreme Court were that Hall was under maximum security and had not been released back into the general prison population, that there was a risk of violent offending, and that Hall was seeking release into the community without any rehabilitation.

The State Parole Authority and NSW Supreme Court also considered that there was no credible nor accountable post-release management strategy for Hall’s integration back into the wider community.

The material described that Hall was to be placed in a half way house in inner city Sydney designed for highly vulnerable and at risk HIV sufferers and individuals experiencing significant gender identity issues, and that this accommodation was found to be totally inappropriate for an offender of Hall’s nature.

Hall’s parole conditions included strict supervision via an electronic bracelet. It said strict supervision ends with the end of parole in July next year.

Appeals

Hall was returned to the Supreme Court in November 2001 to have his life sentence redetermined under Truth in Sentencing laws.

Outcome

Hall was released on parole wearing an electronic bracelet.

The parole authority later confirmed an order revoking Hall’s parole.

Aftermath

After the decision to keep Hall caged, Marrion Saunders said:

"sanity had prevailed".

Earlier she said:

"The wound is always open."

The matter also included claims that jail assaults were even more serious because Hall knew she was HIV positive at the time.

A rape charge was dropped only because the victim left the country after being released from jail.

People

• Maddison Hall (born Noel Crompton in 1964), Australian HIV-positive transsexual and convicted murderer.
• Lyn Saunders (28), hitchhiker who was shot and killed at Gol Gol, New South Wales.
• Marrion Saunders, mother of Lyn Saunders.
• Sharon, Hall’s wife in Campbelltown.
• Noel Crompton Hall, Hall’s earlier name (used at the time of the murder).
• Justice Kep Enderby, who said there were "no mitigating circumstances."
• Ron Woodham, prisons boss who tried to keep Hall in a male jail.
• Steve d'Silva, acting general manager at Dillwynia Correctional Centre.
• Dillwynia Correctional Centre acting general manager Steve d'Silva said: "She would be straight back behind bars if authorities had the "slightest doubt" the community was in danger."
• Ron Woodham, who refused to reveal why the State Government and prisons boss opposed Hall's release.
• Ron Woodham, prisons boss.
• Dillwynia Correctional Centre acting general manager Steve d'Silva.
• Phil Young SC, Hall’s barrister.
• Will Hutchins, lawyer from the Prisoners' Legal Service.
• Ian Pike, authority chairman, former chief magistrate.
• Belinda Paxton, crown prosecutor.
• Dr Michael Giuffria, psychiatrist who considered allegations, while not proven, and rated Hall a moderate to high risk of reoffending.

Direct quotations

• Hall said:
• Steve d'Silva said:

  "She would be straight back behind bars if authorities had the "slightest doubt" the community was in danger,"

• Marrion Saunders said:
• Marrion Saunders said:
• Marrion Saunders said:
• Marrion Saunders said:
• Dr Michael Giuffria’s assessment included that allegations were "consistent with his assessment of Hall" and were rated "a moderate to high risk of reoffending."
• Forensic psychiatrist wrote:
• Marrion Saunders said: