Witness (later issued as Evil Relations): The Story of David Smith, Chief Prosecution Witness in the Moors Murders Case [Paperback]

Carol Ann Lee is the author of One of Your Own: The Life and Death of Myra Hindley, one of the most acclaimed books about Myra Hindley. Now she has turned her attention to David Smith, the man whose relationship with the Moors Murderers has caused emotive and divided opinions. Relatives of the victims, the public, press and the police were also judgmental about the role of David Smith and both Ian Brady and Myra Hindley tried to shift the blame onto Smith and implicate him in the murders. However, the fact remains that David Smith was the one person who put an end to the murders by informing the police about that dreadful night when he witnessed a murder.

David Smith came from a broken home and was often in and out of minor trouble when he was young. At the age of fifteen he was steadily involved with Maureen Hindley, Myra's younger sister. At the age of sixteen, Smith found himself married and with a child on the way. At the time he was sixteen, Brady was twenty six, an older man - and he had already killed. This book details the whole of Smiths life, how he met and married Maureen and his relationship with both his and her family. The cover of the book shows Smith looking uncannily like Stuart Sutcliffe (the member of the Beatles who died very young) and it no surprise to read that his heroes were John Lennon and Bob Dylan. Notoriously wary of the press and authors, it must have taken someone with great tact to enable Smith to open up about those years, but Carol Ann Lee presents a balanced account of his life. One of the most shocking things to read was that David Smith lived literally doors away from Pauline Reade, the first victim of Brady and Hindley. There is a moment when Smith describes standing outside with Brady when Pauline's mother walks by and Brady asks about her, that literally makes your flesh creep.

Ian Brady seems to have been unable to avoid trying to drag Smith into his plans, without understanding him at all. His racist rants and obsessive lectures, formerally aimed at Hindley, were now beginning to be directed to David. However, as a sixteen year old, and usually drunk, David was often merely nodding along without really listening and certainly had no suspicion of what he was involved with. Brady gave him books to read and began to try to groom him, which you feel was much against Hindley's wishes. One night, Myra comes to David and Maureen's flat and asks him to walk her back. When he walks into the house he hears a scream and he witnesses the murder of seventeen year old Edward Evans. Terrified, he recounts how he found himself calmer than both Hindley or Brady, as he tries to keep them both in sight and get out of the house alive. Without hesitating he went to the police and the investigation into the pair begins. However, at first Myra Hindley is not seen as having involvement in the murder Smith saw take place, and only Brady is arrested. Smith's account was essential in tying Hindley to the murders and to her involvement in what happened.

This book not only explains the relationship between Smith and the Moors Murderers, but looks in great detail at the public hounding of Smith and his first wife, Maureen, after the arrests and trial. It is truly shocking to read at the amount of abuse they suffered, especially when you consider that it is likely that more murders would have been carried out by Brady and Hindley if Smith had not had the courage to hold himself together in that house and then take his story to the police, regardless of the consequences. The book continues with the story of what happened to Smith afterwards as his life spiralled out of control, although thanksfully he is in a much happier place now. The book has a moving foreward, by Alan Bennett (brother of Keith), in which he talks about the pain and distress Brady and Hindley brought, not only to the victims and their families, but also to others. Their lies damaged and almost destroyed David Smith's life. When you consider he was only a teenager at the time, it is remarkable how well he dealt with events and the courage he displayed. There is no doubt he saved lives and that he was largely responsible for putting Brady and Hindley behind bars. He should be proud and I was deeply moved by this book and hope he feels that, having given his side of the story, he can now move on with his life. A well written and well researched account, using David Smith's memoirs in places, and a very valuable book in understanding those dreadful crimes.

After reading One of Your Own, Carol Ann Lee's superb biography of Myra Hindley, i was pleased to learn that she had co-written a book with David Smith, Myra Hindley's ex brother-in-law and the chief prosecution witness in her trial. As i wasn't alive in the 60's and only have vague memories of seeing the case in the news as a younger child in the 90's, i started reading Witness with no prejudices, I wasn't familiar with the Moors Murders case before reading One of Your Own and in my personal view i never once doubted that Hindley and Brady were lying about David Smith - as someone who was basically reading the facts for the first time, it seemed plain to me.

The impression i gained from reading the book was that David Smith was the hero of the whole affair. Therefore, it shocked me when i found out how he was treated by the public, press and his own community after and during the trial of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. Surely he should have been regarded as a hero? It seemed though, that most people were happy to believe Hindley and Brady when they tried to implicate him in their crimes, a fact i can't really comprehend! Why were the public so happy to believe what they said anyway?

For these reasons i decided to read Witness and was not disappointed, finding it an honest and interesting book. David makes no excuses for things he may have done in the past and makes no apologies, he may have made mistakes in his life, which he freely admits, but going to the police about Brady and Hindley was not one of them. He did the right thing, yet amongst the hysteria that seemed to be forgotten. Reading the book i felt i was transported back with David, his memoirs were so beautifully written and evocative they really made me feel like i was exploring his mind. Having said that, i can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to have everything you thought you knew suddenly torn apart. How must it feel to find out that your sister-in-law and her boyfriend were not the generous, kind couple you thought but were actually murderers. Not only that but to witness a boy of your own age axed to death in front of you by a man you regarded as a friend is unimaginable. I don't think there are any words to properly describe how this must feel, but David makes a valiant attempt.

Learning about how the actions of Brady and Hindley impacted on his life made me feel such empathy for David and his wife Maureen, what they endured would have made most people crack, but David some how survived. Even when Hindley exonerated him in her confessions, still the rumour mill turned.

I am glad this book has been written and David finally got to tell his story, hopefully those people who still hold prejudice against him will finally realise that without this man's bravery many more mothers may have been without their children. He did what was right and we should thank him. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Moors case, it's not an apology, it's an honest, warts and all story of a young boy whose life was turned upside down, all because he was a witness.

What more can I add? Well, apart from being factual, intense, harrowing at times and plain 'speaking' all the time, the story of David Smith, and his life and family, finally tells the whole truth. Nothing is overlooked or sweetened up in any way at all. He has written his story as it happened and how he reacted to events at the time. It is long overdue and a story that needed to be told.
It also says a lot about the man that he kept quiet for so long despite all the false accusations aimed at him and abuse suffered by himself and those close to him. Even whilst Brady and Hindley continued to whinge and gain support for their 'Hard times', (Brady still does.) Hindley finally told the truth and completely exonerated David Smith from any involvement with the 'Moors Murders.' I believe that even without Hindley stating that fact it should have been obvious to everybody that David Smith brought Brady and Hindley to justice and prevented further murders. I hope this book will open the eyes of many people to that fact and just how much he and his family, unbelievably, suffered for him doing so.
This book brings a whole new dimension to the story of the Moors Murders and gives the reader a totally new insight into Brady and Hindley that has never been shown before, despite the millions of words printed about them.
This factual account has been too long in coming, although it will be plain to all readers why David Smith remained silent for so long. It must have seemed to him that nobody was listening and nobody cared. Well, David, I hope people will listen and will also care now.
Congratulations to Carol Ann Lee also. She has, once again, produced a book that is absolutely unique and brilliantly written.

This book has been published again under the new name of Evil Relations.