Offender Record · OFF-2026-083
Roy Archibald Hall (photo from the Radford University biography)
Archibald Thomson Hall
Also known as Roy Fontaine, Roy Archibald Hall
Sex
Male
Race
White
Born
1924
Custody
Deceased
States
GB
Custody
Deceased at HMP Kingston
Custody record at the facility
Died September 16, 2002 of natural causes (stroke) at HMP Kingston, Portsmouth. Incarcerated from May 1978 until death.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Archibald Thomson Hall, also known as Roy Fontaine, was a Scottish serial killer convicted of four murders committed between 1977-1978 while employed as a butler and valet. Hall killed an ex-lover, his employers, an accomplice, and his half-brother in Scotland and England. He was arrested in North Berwick, Scotland in January 1978, confessed to all five murders, and was convicted in May 1978 at Edinburgh High Court, receiving four life sentences with a whole life tariff. Hall died in Kingston Prison, Portsmouth on September 16, 2002, at age 78.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jul 1977, Kirkleton, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Murder of David Wright
Police Scotland / Edinburgh High Court · Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary · Arrested Jan 16, 1978 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment
Hall shot David Wright, a former prison lover and accomplice, in the back of the head with a rifle during a shooting trip on Lady Hudson's estate. Wright had been threatening to expose Hall's criminal history and thefts of silverware. Body buried in a stream at Kirkleton, Dumfriesshire.
SourcesArchibald Hall; Archibald Hall a.k.a. Roy Fontaine - Biography Crime File; Radford University serial killer biography: Hall, Roy Archibald
Offense date Dec 08, 1977, London, England
Murder of Dorothy Scott-Elliot
Police Scotland / Edinburgh High Court · Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary · Arrested Jan 16, 1978 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Lie on file (case not prosecuted at trial despite conviction)
Michael Kitto suffocated Dorothy Scott-Elliot with a pillow when she discovered Kitto and Hall discussing their robbery plot at the couple's London penthouse. Hall was involved in the murder but Kitto directly suffocated her. Body transported to Scotland and buried in Braco, Perthshire. Hall initially denied this murder but later admitted to involvement.
SourcesArchibald Hall; Serial killing butler dies in prison aged 78; Archibald Hall a.k.a. Roy Fontaine - Biography Crime File
Offense date Dec 12, 1977, London, England
Murder of Walter Scott-Elliot
Police Scotland / Edinburgh High Court · Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary · Arrested Jan 16, 1978 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment
Walter Scott-Elliot, a wealthy former Labour MP and Hall's employer, was drugged with barbiturates and then strangled and beaten with a spade to the head by Hall and Kitto. Body transported to Scotland and buried in Glen Affric (also reported as Tomich, Inverness-shire).
SourcesArchibald Hall; Archibald Hall a.k.a. Roy Fontaine - Biography Crime File; Serial killing butler dies in prison aged 78
Offense date Dec 13, 1977, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Murder of Mary Coggle
Police Scotland / Edinburgh High Court · Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary · Arrested Jan 16, 1978 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment
Mary Coggle, an Irish cleaner and accomplice, was struck over the head with a poker while Kitto held her arms, then suffocated with a plastic bag. Hall killed her because she was wearing Mrs. Scott-Elliot's stolen mink coat, drawing unwanted attention, and she had mentioned the murders to friends. Body found in Middlebie river on December 25, 1977.
SourcesArchibald Hall; Archibald Hall a.k.a. Roy Fontaine - Biography Crime File; Radford University serial killer biography: Hall, Roy Archibald
Offense date Jan 14, 1978, North Berwick, Scotland
Murder of Donald Hall
Police Scotland / Edinburgh High Court · Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary · Arrested Jan 16, 1978 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment
Donald Hall, Archibald's half-brother, was chloroformed and drowned in a bathtub by Hall and Kitto. Hall killed him because he suspected Donald was a pedophile and wanted him dead before his planned visit. Body placed in car trunk and discovered by police at Blenheim House Hotel in North Berwick after hotel proprietor became suspicious.
SourcesArchibald Hall; Radford University serial killer biography: Hall, Roy Archibald; Archibald Hall
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
4
Victims convicted
5
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1977–1978
Stated motive
Financial gain, Concealing another crime
Range from home
interstate
Accomplice
Yes
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Married
Children
0
Died
2002-09-16 · natural
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
GB
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
approx. 1924 – 1940 · Born in Glasgow; lived there during childhood and early adolescence
Greater London, England, United Kingdom
approx. 1940 – 1945 · Various jobs including news agency shop work; began petty thefts
Scotland, United Kingdom
1945 – 1948 · Prison (Edinburgh) for burglary and house robbery
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
approx. 1948 – 1949 · Released from prison; returned to Glasgow
Scotland, United Kingdom
1949 – 1952 · Prison for robbery of jewelry store
Scotland, United Kingdom
1953 – 1955 · Prison for jewelry theft (100,000 lbs worth) with accomplice Wooton
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
approx. 1955 – 1956 · Returned to Glasgow after release
Scotland, United Kingdom
1956 – 1963 · Prison for robbery and gun possession; multiple sentences
Scotland, United Kingdom
approx. 1963 – 1970 · Released from prison; attempted butler positions
Scotland, United Kingdom
1970 – 1975 · Prison for escaped conviction and related charges
Dumfriesshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
1975 – 1977 · Butler for Lady Margaret Hudson at Kirleton House
Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Nov 1977 – Dec 1977 · Butler for Walter Scott-Elliot and wife Dorothy (wealthy antique collectors and former MP)
North Berwick, Scotland, United Kingdom
Jan 16, 1978 – Jan 16, 1978 · Arrested at Blenheim House Hotel with body of brother Donald in car trunk
Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
May 1978 – Sep 16, 2002 · HMP Kingston, Portsmouth; life sentence with whole life tariff
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
Ford Granada with false number plates
approx. 1977 – 1978
Used to transport bodies of Dorothy and Walter Scott-Elliot from London to Scotland; also used when carrying brother Donald's body to North Berwick hotel
Timeline
Jun 17, 1924
Archibald Thomson Hall born in Glasgow, Scotland.
1945
Hall arrested for house burglary after robbing homes; escaped police custody briefly before re-arrest.
1948
Hall released from prison after two-year sentence for burglary; meets lifelong friend Wooton.
1949
Hall released from prison and arrested again for robbing jewelry store.
1953
Hall and Wooton steal approximately 100,000 lbs of jewelry from Este Henry; both arrested.
1956
Hall arrested for robbery and gun possession.
1975
Hall released from prison after lengthy incarceration; obtains employment as butler for Lady Margaret Hudson at Kirleton House, Dumfriesshire.
Jul 1977
Hall kills David Wright, an ex-lover and former prison associate, by shooting him in the back of the head with a rifle on Lady Hudson's estate; body buried in stream at Kirkleton.
Nov 1977
Hall begins employment as butler for Walter Scott-Elliot and wife Dorothy, wealthy antique collectors and former Labour MP, in London.
Dec 08, 1977
Hall introduces accomplice Michael Kitto to Scott-Elliot penthouse for planned robbery; Dorothy Scott-Elliot discovered them and was suffocated by Kitto with pillow.
Dec 12, 1977
Hall and Kitto strangle and beat Walter Scott-Elliot with shovel after drugging him; body transported to Scotland and buried in Glen Affric.
Dec 13, 1977
Hall strikes Mary Coggle with poker and suffocates her with plastic bag; body dumped in river at Middlebie, Dumfriesshire.
Jan 14, 1978
Hall chloroforms and drowns half-brother Donald Hall in bathtub; body placed in car trunk.
Jan 16, 1978
Hall and Kitto arrested at Blenheim House Hotel in North Berwick after hotel proprietor calls police; Donald Hall's body found in car trunk.
Jan 18, 1978
Hall attempts suicide in police holding cell using barbiturates.
May 1978
Hall tried and convicted at Edinburgh High Court on four counts of murder (Dorothy Scott-Elliot case lies on file); sentenced to four life sentences with whole life tariff; makes full confession to all five murders.
1999
Hall publishes autobiography 'A Perfect Gentleman' while imprisoned at HMP Kingston.
Sep 16, 2002
Hall dies of natural causes (stroke) at HMP Kingston, Portsmouth, at age 78, while serving life sentence with whole life tariff.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Grokipedia ·
Archibald Hall“convicted in May 1978 at the High Court in Edinburgh on four counts of murder, admitting to a fifth, receiving four life sentences with a whole life tariff”
News report · Murder UK ·
Serial Killer Archibald Hall - Murder UK“May 1978, Hearings at The Old Bailey in London, and The Edinburgh high court found Hall and accomplice Kitto guilty, both were sentenced to life imprisonment”
News report · Crime and Investigation ·
Archibald Hall a.k.a. Roy Fontaine - Biography Crime File“During the trial in Edinburgh in May 1978 Fontaine was described as a psychopath. Fontaine made a full confession to the five murders and British and Scottish courts sentenced him to life imprisonment.”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Archibald Hall“Archibald Thomson Hall, also known as Roy Fontaine (17 June 1924 – 16 September 2002) was a Scottish serial killer and thief.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Hall, Roy Archibald“Hall sentenced to two life-terms for the murders of Wright and Walter Scott-Elliott in Edinburgh; 5 confirmed victims; Stroke natural causes; Dies in Kingston prison, Portsmouth; Attempted twice while in custody”
News report · The Scotsman ·
Serial killing butler dies in prison aged 78“In 1978, Hall was given two life sentences for the murders of Wright and Walter Scott-Elliott. He denied murdering Mrs Scott-Elliott and the file was left open.”
Other government record · The National Archives, UK ·
Archibald HALL and Michael KITTO: murder cases“Archibald HALL (aliases Roy FONTAINE and Robin THOMPSON) and Michael KITTO: murder of Dorothy SCOTT-ELLIOTT, Donald HALL and Mary COGGLE between July 1977 and January 1978. Both convicted.”
Discussion
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