Fred West - House of Horror E-Book

Ian Boult

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 138

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

25 Cromwell Street, a seemingly ordinary terraced house in Gloucester, would become notorious as a den of unspeakable crimes. The house of horrors, as it came to be known, was the residence of Fred and Rose West, a married couple who unleashed a reign of terror. This bizarre couple were involved in murder (which included some of their own children), prostitution, rape, torture, and incest. When the horrors of Cromwell Street were revealed, the neighbours of Fred and Rose West expressed astonishment that these two seemingly placid people could be capable of murder and unfathomable sadism and depravity. The book that follows will take the reader through the monstrous life and crimes of Fred West.

Leseprobe

Fred West - House of Horror   

Ian Boult© Copyright 2023 Ian Boult

ContentsChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightEpilogueCHAPTER ONE25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester became an infamous address in English criminal history thanks to the barely believable antics of Fred and Rose West. This bizarre couple were involved in murder (which included some of their own children), prostitution, rape, torture, and incest. The case of Fred West raised many important questions about the existence of evil and the failings of society to prevent such heinous crimes. West's ability to conceal his true nature from those around him, including family, friends, and neighbours, highlighted the difficulty of identifying serial killers before they commit their crimes. Fred West's crimes shocked the nation and garnered international media attention. His case exposed the depths of depravity that a seemingly ordinary person can sink to. In truth though Fred West was never an ordinary person. Sadly though it took far too long for this fact to come to light. By the time it did untold damage had been done - not only to his own family but many others. The case also raised questions about the role of parental upbringing and childhood trauma in shaping criminal behaviour. While this does not excuse or justify the horrific acts committed by West, it does provide insight into the complex factors that contribute to such extreme criminality. Frederick Walter Stephen West was born on September 29, 1941, in Much Marcle. He grew up in a rural cottage with no electricity. Much Marcle is a small village located in Herefordshire, England. It is situated near the River Wye and is about 6 miles south-west of the town of Ledbury. The village is known for its beautiful countryside, orchards, and historic architecture.One of the main attractions in Much Marcle is Hellens Manor, a medieval manor house that has been home to the same family for over 500 years. The manor is open to the public and visitors can explore its impressive rooms and gardens. The village also has a historic church, St Bartholomew's Church, which dates back to the 12th century. It has a unique detached bell tower and is known for its beautiful stained glass windows. Much Marcle is located in the heart of cider country and is surrounded by orchards. Visitors can explore the local cider makers and even visit the Westons Cider Mill, which offers tours and tastings. It is rather bad luck for Much Marcle that Fred West became (for all the wrong reasons) the most famous person person to hail from this pleasant village. Fred West was the second of eight children - two of which died. There were stories that his mother sexually abused him. Fred West later claimed his father had incestuous relations with his sisters - although it was impossible to ever establish if this was true or a fabrication. West's parents, Walter and Daisy West, were strict and had a reputation for being violent towards their children. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, Fred West was subjected to various forms of abuse, which likely contributed to his future criminal behaviour. West's troubled upbringing, characterised by physical and mental abuse, shaped his distorted view of the world. His father was a disciplinarian who believed in harsh punishment and frequently beat him. Fred West's mother was known for her promiscuity and often exposed her children to her unconventional lifestyle, allegedly including sexual acts that Fred was forced to witness. This toxic environment marked West's psyche, setting the stage for the horrors that would befall his victims in the future. We know a lot more about serial killers like Fred West now than we used to do but we'll never completely understand them. We are fascinated by serial killers because they are not like us at all. Serial killers do the most appalling and gruesome things without batting an eyelid. They do things that ordinary people would never be capable of doing. Most ordinary people have compassion, guilt, empathy, and are sensitive and squeamish. We don't like blood and hate to see others in distress. These are alien emotions to serial killers when they ply their trade. They have no empathy or guilt and they love to see people in distress. Most experts think the theory that serial killers are 'bad seeds' who were born bad is a myth. You can't be born bad. Environments and experiences turn people twisted and bad - not genetics. A large number of serial killers had unhappy childhoods like Fred West. There are exceptions to this of course but many serial killers had an awful start in life. In many cases they experienced grim poverty or suffered abuse - or in many cases experienced both of these factors. It is by no means completely universal but a common thread between many serial killers often seems to be a dysfunctional relationship with their mother. It seems to a recurring pattern too that many serial killers were beaten and verbally abused by strict fathers. The 1988 publication Sexual Homicide, Patterns and Motives said that 70% of families who raised a serial killer have had a history of alcohol abuse.Many of the relatives of Fred West were criminals (although none became serial killers like Fred). There have been many cases where serial killers grew up in a house where crime was the norm. Their relatives were criminals and even their friends too. There were no role models to teach them right from wrong. The childhood of Richard (The Night Stalker) Ramirez was not exactly helped by his adoration of a cousin who served in Vietnam. This cousin filled the head of Ramirez with tales (and often photographic evidence) of war atrocities and also taught Ramirez how to use a knife. The cousin of Ramirez later shot his own wife while Ramirez was present. Arthur Shawcross (who killed fourteen people) was said to have had sexual relations with his sister. He also said his aunt and mother sexually abused him. Andrei (The Butcher of Rostov) Chikatilo grew up listening to accounts of the mass death, torture, and cannibalism in the war on the Eastern Front between the Red Army and Nazi Germany. A number of serial killers were orphaned or abandoned as children. There have been many cases of serial killers who were bullied when they were growing up.Fred West was a sexual sadist. He was brought up to believe that incest and rape was perfectly normal behaviour and no big deal. His father once told him you could anything he wanted to so long as you could get away with it (not get caught). West, tragically, took this advice to heart. Fred West's brother later disputed though the picture West painted of his childhood. There is certainly evidence to suggest that Fred West was a compulsive liar (serial killers tend not to be the most reliable narrators when it comes to their own life). Fred West told all manner of whoppers when he was in police custody - though that was probably to be expected given the circumstances. Pseudologia fantastica is a psychological term that refers to a condition where an individual compulsively lies, often coming up with elaborate and fantastical stories that may seem believable. People with pseudologia fantastica typically have a strong need for attention and validation, and lying becomes a way for them to achieve that. This condition is also known as pathological lying or mythomania. People with pseudologia fantastica may engage in lying to manipulate others, gain sympathy, or avoid confrontations. They may embellish or fabricate stories to make themselves appear more important or impressive. It is important to note that this condition is not simply telling occasional white lies or exaggerating. Those with pseudologia fantastica have a pattern of pathological lying, and it can become disruptive to their relationships and daily life. Pseudologia fantastica is believed to be a symptom of underlying psychological or emotional issues such as low self-esteem, narcissism, or a desire for control (which are all things that Fred West showed signs of). Treatment for this condition often involves therapy to address and understand the root causes of the lying behaviour, as well as explore healthier coping mechanisms.From the age of 9, Fred West helped to slaughter animals on the farm. His early participation in such a cruel and terrible industry made him cold and unemotional about death and blood. Fred West never showed any remorse about the crimes he committed. He saw people as mere objects to do with as he pleased (which is certainly a standard mindset for serial killers because if they didn't have this mindset they wouldn't become serial killers in the first place). When he was in police custody and discussed dismembering a victim or burying one of his children in the garden, Fred West had all the emotion of someone discussing how they got rid of a pet goldfish that had died. Despite his affable exterior, Fred West was a cold and wicked person. He certainly had a lot of his neighbours fooled. He would give them all Christmas cards and they thought he was a nice jolly builder who lived down the road. Once, when the husband of a neighbour suffered a heart attack, Fred West lent assistance and tried to save the man (the neighbour sadly died anyway of the heart attack). This public mask of humanity is not uncommon in serial killers. Ted Bundy once saved a child from drowning. A lot of famous serial killers are lone wolves dangerously alienated from society (one thinks of people like Dennis Nilsen and Jeffrey Dahmer) but Fred West had a great disguise because he had a brood of (strangely) photogenic children and a loyal wife. To the outside world at least he was able to pose as a normal family man. Fred West wasn't much of a student and left school at 15 to work as a farm labourer. It was standard back then for working-class kids to leave school early. He attended the nearby Dryden Street School in Gloucester during his childhood. As someone from a poor background in a rural area he was expected to pitch in and help and school was seen as a waste of time. Not that a glittering academic future was stolen from Fred West. He could barely write his own name. When he was in police custody a police officer had to write down Fred West's verbal confession because West was incapable of doing this for himself. When he was 17, Fred West had a bad motorcycle accident which required a metal plate to be put in his head. West suffered a fractured skull through this accident and spent eight days in a coma. It was a terrible accident and left him with neurological damage. Fred West also later fell off a fire escape - leading to a further head injury. West was unconscious for 24 hours after he fell from the fire escape. West was now like a boxer who had taken too many punches. It clearly left him damaged and he was already damaged to begin with. It is consequently speculated that West was left with permanent brain damage which affected his behaviour as an adult. Fred West was no genius even before the head injuries so you can imagine what he was like after them. West fell off the fire escape at the Ledbury Youth Club after a girl he was trying to grope punched him. 'The link between brain injury and crime is thought to be damage to the frontal lobes of the brain,' wrote the International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory. 'Frontal lobe injury has been associated with loss of control over sub-cortical and limbic structures involved in primitive impulses (Grafman et al, 1996).  Lesions in these areas may influence functions such as social perception, self-control and judgement, as well as emotions and mood.  Thus, the link between brain injury and crime may reflect the effects of brain injury-related cognitive and emotional impairments on behaviour. An individual may misperceive elements of a situation, make poor social judgements, overreact to provocative stimuli, and lack the communication skills to verbally negotiate conflict or strike out impulsively.' A surprisingly high number of serial killers received head injuries from an accident in their childhood or youth. Richard Ramirez suffered two head injuries as a child. It is believed they left him with seizures. Nannie Doss (aka The Giggling Granny) suffered a head injury as a child when she was involved in an accident where an iron bar flew off a train and struck her. Doss tried to use this head injury as a defence for her murders. John Wayne Gacy is another notorious serial killer who suffered head injuries as a child. He was knocked out by a swing and once beaten senseless by his father. David Berkowitz (aka The Son of Sam) suffered a head injury at the age of six when he was struck by a car. Alexander Pichushkin (aka The Chessboard Killer) suffered a serious head injury as a child when he was in a playground. The serial killer Dennis Rader said that when he was an infant his mother dropped him and he landed on his head. There are a large number of other examples of serial killers suffering a blow to the head at a young age. Now, this obviously does not explain all the serial killers who didn't suffer head injuries but it certainly might have been a factor in those who DID. The brain damage suffered by Fred West is widely believed to have affected his impulse control. Impulse control refers to the ability to resist immediate gratification or temptation in order to achieve long-term goals or adhere to rules and societal norms. It involves managing one's urges, desires, and emotions in a way that is consistent with personal values and social expectations. Individuals with strong impulse control are able to think before acting, delay gratification, and make rational decisions based on a careful consideration of potential consequences. On the other hand, those with poor impulse control tend to act impulsively, often succumbing to immediate desires or acting without considering the potential negative outcomes. Impulse control is an important skill that contributes to self-discipline, responsible behaviour, and overall psychological well-being. It plays a crucial role in various aspects of life, including relationships, finances, academics, and professional success. Whatever term you care to use there was something deeply wrong with Fred West. This wouldn't take long at all to manifest itself in his awful and notorious life. CHAPTER TWOFred West was a remarkably odd looking man. He was short with curly black hair and large sideburns, had a limp, rotted teeth, and looked weirdly wolf-like - but not in a good way. West looked like a ghoul. There was something distinctly weird about his appearance. He also had what you might call a classic 'country bumpkin' accent and could barely read or write. Despite his strange appearance (West basically looked like an exhibit in a waxwork museum) and lack of education, Fred West somehow considered himself to be a suave ladies man. In his own mind he was charming and handsome with the gift of the gab sufficient to woo any lady. In reality, he was a creep who molested a number of underage girls and went on to torture and murder women. These delusions would feature in the murderous activities West was tragically set to undertake in years to come. He would make it sound as if these poor women were willing visitors to his grim sex dungeon because they were all besotted with him. In 1961, Fred West was arrested for making a 13 year old girl pregnant. He was forced to leave home (his family were said to want nothing more to do with him) and got some work in the building trade. He would work in the building trade for the rest of his life. He was never rich but he usually had a fairly steady income. Because he worked in the building trade and did jobs all around Gloucestershire, there is a theory that West might have been able to dispose of body part evidence all around the county and beyond. Fred West at this time was a petty thief (most serial killers seem to begin their criminal careers with theft and rape before graduating to murder) who frequently had sexual relations with underage girls. Many of his sexual encounters were not of the consensual kind. In a trial he escaped a rape charge but was found guilty of child molestation. West actually got off lightly because the court deemed his head injuries had played a part in his conduct. Around and after this time, West became linked to a Scottish woman named Catherine Costello - who was better known as Rena. Costello had been picked up by the police before for prostitution. Prostitution by his wives and girlfriends wasn't something that bothered Fred West at all. In fact, he encouraged it. Not only did it bring in extra money, West got off on the fact that his significant other was on the game. Costello and West were married in November 1962 and a child was born in March 1963, whom they called Charmaine. Charmaine was not Fred West's biological daughter. Her father was thought to be Pakistani. This would become a familiar pattern in the life of Fred West. The large family he presided over with Rose West in later years would contain children where he wasn't the biological father. West, remarkably, got a job as an ice cream van driver in Glasgow around the time he was with Rena. This obviously gave him easy access to children. In those days there was no such thing as a sexual offenders register and background checks were not only rare but much more difficult to carry out. The thought of a child molester working as an ice cream man is enough to make you shudder but such things were perfectly possible back then.