10 Rillington Place

As a lifelong opponent of the death penalty, I would like to be able to write favourably about this attempt to present Evans as the victim of an horrendous miscarriage of justice.

Sadly, Kennedy's blatant distortions of the evidence led, deliberate omissions of points that discredit his hypothesis, and denigration of Scott Henderson and Brabin as establishment puppets, coupled with sweeping and false generalisations about court lawyers turn what might otherwise have been a presuasive work into a piece of unmitigated garbage. To accept his theory, the conspiracy against Evans extended through the police, the judiciary, the political system, and prison medical services. So far, so good, but when he falsifies the statements of newsagents and council labourers, it all becomes a bit preposterous.

Let us not forget, the prison psychiatrist to whom Evans confessed (Dr Matheson) also interviewed Christie in 1953, but remained convinced of Evans' guilt, and said so in public. Does Kennedy address this? No.

Well written and persuasive, but is he right? (1/1 people found this helpful)

The author makes it quite plain at the outset that the purpose of the book is to demonstrate that Evans was innocent of the two murders that he was indicted for. (At trial he was only prosecuted for the murder of his daughter, of course).

There is no pretence here that this is a dispassionate and balanced 'overview' of the case, so those looking for such a thing would need to look elsewhere.

Opinion remains divided as to whether Kennedy has succeeded in his task.

The Brabin Inquiry of 1966 went only so far as saying that Evans 'probably hadn't' killed his daughter but had 'likely' killed his wife. That meant that he had been hanged for a crime that he didn't commit. A pardon was granted but the conviction was never quashed in the Court Of Appeal. (Evans' remains were taken from the confines of Pentonville prison and re-interred in a cemetery in recognition of Brabin's conclusion).

I've read this book many times - more recently in conjunction with other books on the case and the Brabin report - and I have to say that I still don't know.

Ludovic Kennedy does write very well and his arguments are very persuasive; but is he right?

Do get a copy if you possibly can.

Compelling read for anyone who is fascinated by real life crime. (0/0 people found this helpful)

Ludovic Kennedy's research into the 10 Rillington Place murders makes this book a 'must read' for lovers of real life crime. It was so difficult to put down once started. Kennedy has the ability of turning deep and detailed research into easy reading without reverting to fictional prose. This book is now out of print so every copy is valuable and must be preserved.

Superb, fast paced, not putdownable (4/4 people found this helpful)

I read this book for the first time about 10 years ago and again recently.
Based on the true story of Tim Evans and John Christie it is fast paced and gripping and highlights the craziness of a legal system that would have us believe that two serial killers who used identical methods of murder lived in the same house at the same time.
No one belives that now, apart from a few die hards in the legal system and (reading the reviews here) a few other people apparently too.
This was the book that forced the system to eventually (many years after the event) own up to the fact that it had sent an innocent man to the gallows.
Read it and cry for Tim Evans and his family.

Unsubtle propaganda (5/11 people found this helpful)

This book cannot be regarded as unbiassed or open minded. It sets out to show that Timothy Evans was innocent. This is hardly sensible (Sherlock Holmes once observed that bad detctives set out with a theory and then twist the facts to prove it, whereas the better option is to study the facts and then form a theory which fits them. Holmes was fictional, but the maxim is sound). The author reminds us at every opportunity that Evans was innocent and that Christie was evil (not that I would disagree with the latter verdict) and the author puts down as fact the thoughts of each man that he cannot possibly have known as being certain. Evans is given the benefit of every possible doubt; Christie none. The author refers to Evans' confessions and then points out examples of false confessions - but there are as many truthful ones, too. Evans was also the last man to have definitely seen his wife alive, buit this point is not mentioned by the author. That Evans was of low intelligence is hardly a point in his innocence as shortly after these murders a man in Northolt of simialr intelligence undoubtedly stabbed his young wiife to death.The author gives a black and white interpretation of the facts and does not allow for any uncertainty or grey areas and the evidence does not, in my view, seem to justify this. A very misleading work.
The only good point about this book is that the author does reproduce various documents in the case, eg confessions, and these are useful for the historian - I assume they are accurately reproduced.

My opinion is that Evans probably did kill his wife, but we cannot be absolutely certain of this.

Ludovic Kennedy

Reader Reviews:

Mendacious twaddle (0/1 people found this helpful)

Well written and persuasive, but is he right? (1/1 people found this helpful)

Compelling read for anyone who is fascinated by real life crime. (0/0 people found this helpful)

Superb, fast paced, not putdownable (4/4 people found this helpful)

Unsubtle propaganda (5/11 people found this helpful)

Similar Products

Categories