Evan Hadyn Evans

Case details

Evan Haydn Evans was tried for the murder of Rachel Allen.

The offence

Rachel Allen was 76 years old. Around 11.20pm on 12th October 1947, Mary Morris came across Rachel's body. Rachel's body was yards from her one-roomed cottage and she had her door key in her hand. Rachel had been beaten and kicked to death. Rachel was known as "Cat Woman" because of her fondness for adopting any local stray feline, and she supplemented her meagre pension by taking in washing. That evening, she had spent in the Butcher's Arms before buying a tin of snuff on her way home.

Investigation

PC Stephen Henton was on duty in the Welsh mining village of Wattstown on the night of 12th October 1947.

After PC Henton had gone past the Butcher's Arms, three men left the pub on their way to a dance in Porth. There was nothing unusual in young men going to the dance, but it was unusual for this particular group to have only three members as there was usually four of them.

Officers questioned Evans in his home in Heol Llechau. Officers were suspicious when Evans dressed in a blue suit. Witnesses had known that he had been wearing a brown suit the evening before. They were even more suspicious when Evans told them that the blue suit was the only one he had. Evans's mother had handed him a pair of recently polished black shoes, but Evans insisted on wearing his brown shoes.

The black shoes were taken for forensic examination and were later found to have small pieces of bone embedded in them. The embedded pieces were part of Rachel's skull.

In Evans's home, detectives noticed that the settee had bright new nails fastening the covering in place. Once the nails were removed, a brown suit splattered with blood was found inside the settee.

Arrest

Trial

At his trial at Cardiff Assizes, Evans tried to get a verdict of manslaughter, but the jury found him guilty of murder.

Sentencing

Evans was executed at Cardiff Prison on 3rd February 1948.

Outcome

Evans was found guilty of murder and was executed at Cardiff Prison on 3rd February 1948.

Confession

Evans confessed to officers and told them that he had had a serious amount to drink and lost his temper after the old lady had called him a pig.

Other details

Evans was a 22-year-old miner.