Archibald Hall chose the name ‘Fontaine’ after the name of a famous film star. He might have been considered a better actor himself, passing himself off to prospective employers as a typical, old-fashioned English butler. His voice and demeanour were very convincing, as were his forged references.

Despite this, between 1951 and 1977, Hall spent no less than 26 years in prison, at one point, in 1956, being sentenced to 30 years Preventative Detention, but serving only ten. Mainly, he was a jewel thief and not one for violence – until he shot his ‘lover’ in 1977. For all his cleverness and skill in the world of jewels and antiques, Hall ended up with nothing. For Archibald Thomson Hall, crime did not pay.