Peter Anthony Allen

Names and roles

• Peter Anthony Allen (4 April 1943 – 13 August 1964) was a defendant in a joint trial for the killing of John Alan West.
• John Alan West was a 53 year-old laundry van driver of Workington, Cumbria, England. He was found dead with severe head injuries and a stab wound to the chest.

Background

• John Alan West lived alone in Workington, Cumbria, England.
• West returned to his home on 6 April 1964 after being out.
• Gwynne Owen Evans (1 April 1940 – 13 August 1964) lodged with Allen and his wife in Preston.

The offence

• On 7 April 1964, John Alan West was murdered.
• West was found dead from severe head injuries and a stab wound to the chest.
• The jury found that West's murder had been committed in the course of theft.
• Allen stated that they had stolen a car in Preston and driven to West's house so that Evans could “borrow” some money from his one-time workmate.

Investigation

• At about 3 a.m. on 7 April 1964, West’s next-door neighbour was awoken by a noise in West’s house and saw a car disappearing down the street.
• The neighbour called the police, who found West dead.
• In West’s house, the police found:
  • a raincoat with a medallion in its pockets
  • an Army Memo Form in its pockets
• The medallion was inscribed “G. O. Evans, July, 1961”.
• The Army Memo Form had the name “Norma O'Brien” on it, together with a Liverpool address.
• Norma O'Brien was a 17-year-old Liverpool factory worker.
• Norma O'Brien told police that in 1963, while staying with her sister and brother-in-law in Preston, she had met a man called “Ginger” Owen Evans.
• Norma O'Brien also confirmed that she had seen Evans wearing the medallion.
• Gwynne Owen Evans was found to have a watch inscribed to West in his pocket.

Arrest

• 48 hours after West's murder, Gwynne Owen Evans and Peter Anthony Allen were arrested and charged with West's murder.

Trial

• Both men were tried together at Manchester Crown Court in June 1964.
• The charge against both men was capital murder because West’s murder had been committed in the course of theft.
• During the trial, the judge asked the jury to decide whether the murder had actually been committed by one of the two men alone; if so, the other would be found guilty of non-capital murder at the most.
• The jury instead found both men equally guilty.
• Both were sentenced to death by hanging.

Sentencing

• Gwynne Owen Evans was sentenced to death by hanging.
• Peter Anthony Allen was sentenced to death by hanging.

Outcome

• Gwynne Owen Evans was hanged by the executioner Harry Allen at Manchester’s Strangeways Prison at 8.00 a.m. on 13 August 1964.
• At the same time, Peter Anthony Allen was hanged at Liverpool's Walton Prison by Robert Leslie Stewart.
• These were the final two hangings in Britain.

Other details

• Allen and Evans were described as having criminal records.
• Evans blamed Allen for beating West, but Evans admitted to stealing the watch and, under further questioning, it became clear that Evans had masterminded the whole incident.
• Gwynne Owen Evans was also described as having a real name: John Robson Welby.
• Allen was described as being in Walton’s condemned cell from 7 July 1964 after his conviction at Manchester before Justice Ashworth.