A habitual liar convicted of murdering a man who had been his friend, and perhaps his lover.
had serious psychological problems.
Searching upstairs, police found a lightweight raincoat folded on a chair in West's bedroom. In the pocket was a lifesaving medallion inscribed "G O Evans"
Evans ... - and that until recently his name had been John Walby. He'd changed it in a third attempt to join the Army, having been kicked out twice under his original name.
...further questioning would show, characteristic of Evans.
... the detective superintendent interviewed Gwynne Evans. First, he asked if that was his real name. The reply was surprising.
"No, I adopted it after I found out I was born in Innsbruck in 1940 and that both my parents were German," Evans said.
This was not true.
I don't have to use a knife to kill a man. I'm an expert at judo and karate.
He wasn't a karate expert either.
...from a very young age Evans had experienced psychological problems. As a boy he'd been referred to a child guidance clinic ..because he was "untrustworthy, lacked moral sense, was untruthful, and inclined to steal".
Evans confused truth with fantasy. "Evans believes that he was born in Innsbruck and his reasons for doing so are quite absurd…" the doctor wrote.
He said he was married to a German girl, and had two children - which also seemed entirely invented.
Evans claimed too that he'd been employed by Securicor for a year, and there become an expert in judo. In fact he'd only worked there for a week; he left as soon as his references had been checked, presumably because they were unsatisfactory.
He lied constantly. The doctor said these were for the most part "prestige lies" to enhance his standing.
On four occasions he joined the services, only to be medically discharged.
"This soldier was sent to me by his training wing officer," wrote one doctor, "on account of his frequent telling of big lies which he apparently believed himself."His first expulsion followed four months later.
In less than a year, he signed up for another regiment, ... - but here too, his lies brought about his downfall. Within three months he was before a medical board which recommended discharge on the grounds of "personality inadequacy".
His commanding officer remarked: "He is a failure. He cannot make friends because of feeling superior and telling complete fairy tales all the time."
The following year he joined the Royal Air Force, but was quickly discharged on the grounds of "nervous instability". In 1963, he signed up for the Army again, under the name of Evans, but was soon found out, and discharged for the final time.
"Even in the witness box he could not refrain from telling stupid and unnecessary lies" - a story about being chased by a police car, for example.