Inside 10 Rillington Place: John Christie and me, the untold truth

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How odd that she should spell it two different ways in the same letter, once correctly as “Furniture. The linguistics expert in the programme opined that the wording used in Evans’s confessions was that of the police rather than of a poorly-educated and illiterate man, but even so it changes nothing of the substance of the statements and Evans himself never claimed to have been coerced into making false confessions or having had words put into his mouth under duress. Nevertheless, the book stands as a uniquely valuable and authoritative piece given the identity of the author – Beryl’s own brother no less – and so one can but hope that any irregularities in the text do not detract greatly from the overall value of the contribution, perhaps being addressed in a revised edition should one ever be forthcoming. I do remember most clearly Reg Christie saying to me: “You need to watch that Tim Evans, he’s a nasty bit of work.

Perhaps aware that he would soon be found out, Christie killed three more women over the next three months. According to the Radio Times, it’s thought that he did this because of his low self-esteem and a desire to fit in with those around him. Warm congratulates to Peter Thorley for revealing the truth about Tim Evans who was a coward and was rightly executed. He remembers “Uncle Reg” as softly spoken and fastidious about his appearance in a day when male grooming was non-existent. Tim's defence shreds Christie's credibility by revealing that he has a history of theft and violence.When the Second World War came along, Christie applied to join the War Reserve Police, serving as a constable at the Harrow Road police station.

There were many others including her closest friend Joan Vincent who was so well aware of Beryl’s marital problems. Anecdotally, I understand that David Wilson subsequently expressed the opinion that the finished programme as broadcast was dire to say the least. Vincent Canby of The New York Times described 10 Rillington Place as "a solemn, earnest polemic of a movie, one with very little vulgar suspense .In the ground floor apartment were John Christie and his wife Ethel, a couple the Evans’ had become friends with during their time at 10 Rillington Place.

The truth that has been accepted is John Christie is responsible for all the killings and Timothy Evans was hanged as an innocent man. Incidentally I hear his brother Basil, not surprisingly, also believed it was Evans who murdered his sister and niece. Possibly, but as far as he felt sorrow I suspect it was more an act of self pity for having messed up his own life by doing so, and depriving himself of two people who many times had brought him pleasure. Peter: Yes, I visited 10 Rillington Place regularly when Tim and Beryl moved in, and I began to see Tim for exactly what he was. The problem with the film is very much the problem with the actual case, which involved small, unimaginative people.The sequence drew on advice from Albert Pierrepoint, one of Britain’s last professional hangmen, and remains shockingly abrupt and cold – within just 30 seconds, Evans is marched from his cell, hooded, placed in the noose, and hung. After persuading her that her bronchitis could be cured by inhaling his ‘special mixture’, Christie subdued her with carbon monoxide before raping and strangling her. The snack was always served properly with cup and saucer and plate, and never given to me in my fingers!