An extraordinary case in British legal history: Timothy Evans
Fill in the gaps with the words below. It should be born in mind that the word enquiry is used twice
Law and order, crime and punishment
The story began when a man called Timothy Evans was arrested for the murder of his wife and baby. He was charged with the double murder, but a short time later one of the charges was dropped and he was tried for the murder of his daughter only. During the trial Evans accused the man whose house he had been living in, John Christie, of the crimes, but no attention was paid to him. The jury found Evans guilty and he was sentenced to death. An appeal was turned down and he was executed in 1950.
Some time later, more women’s bodies were discovered in Christie’s house: two, three, four, five, six. John Christie was the police’s chief suspect and they started a nationwide hunt for him. He was soon apprehended. Alleged statements by Christie while he was in custody cast doubt on the Evans hanging. When he went to court, Christie denied that he had murdered Mrs. Evans, but in private it was said that he confessed to that crime. His plea of insanity with regard of other murderers was rejected and he was convicted of killing his wife.
Soon afterwards there was an enquiry into the execution Timothy Evans. The judges decided that justice had been done and Evans had been rightly hanged. It was only in 1966 that another enquiry was set up. This time it was decided that Evans had probably been innocent and he was given a free pardon. Better late than never, as they say.
ԱՐԱՔՍ ՔԱԼԻՋՅԱՆ 