Murder-accused driver admits lying to police
APENSIONER who drove his co-defendants to and from the scene of the alleged murder of Harry Baker has admitted lying in his police interview.
Lewis Evans, 62, is one of seven people standing trial accused of the alleged murder of Mr Baker, 17, who was found in Barry Intermodal Terminal on August 28, 2019, bloodied and covered in stab wounds.
The defendant is accused of being part of an “armed and deadly gang” who prosecutors alleged murdered the Cardiff teenager.
Leon Clifford, 23, Raymond Thompson, 48, Peter McCarthy, 37, and Ryan Palmer, 34, and Evans, who are all from Barry, as well as Leon Symons, 22, from Ely, in Cardiff, and a 17-year-old youth defendant all deny murder and are on trial at Newport Crown Court.
Yesterday, Evans was cross-examined by prosecutor Paul Lewis QC about his police interview.
He was asked why he did not mention in his prepared statement that he used heroin.
Evans said: “Maybe I was ashamed of the heroin thing.”
He was accused of beginning his interviews by telling the police a lie after saying three of the men came to his house and asked for a lift
Evans said: “I was trying to cover my a**e. I was advised to give a statement and not respond but I thought ‘I’m lying here.’”
In his statement, the defendant said he had a message from someone asking him to pick them up from Cardiff Road but was eventually told to go to the dockyards in Barry.
Mr Lewis said: “There’s no mention of the girls or the trip to Little Moors Hill.”
Evans said: “I was editing things to try and make myself look better. I was just thinking ‘I’ll tell them what I have to tell them.’”
Mr Lewis said: “So you’ve deliberately omitted something?”
Evans said: “Yes, I didn’t care. I was terrified by now.”
Mr Lewis said: “You had simply forgotten there were five boys in the car and the diversion to Hillary Rise?” Evans said: “Yes.”
The defendant was asked about his second police interview on September 3, 2019.
Mr Lewis said: “So by now you wanted to tell the police everything?” Evans said: “Yes.”
Evans was asked about the claim he made in his prepared statement that three boys came to his flat at 12am on August 28 and asked him for a lift.
Mr Lewis said: “You are repeating a deliberate lie.”
Evans said: “They said I said in my prepared statement three boys came to my house and I said ‘Yes I did say that.’”
Mr Lewis said: “You had told the jury when you said that to the police in the first interview it was a lie, what are you doing repeating the same lie?” Evans said: “It’s a different lie.” Mr Lewis asked: “Why are you telling another lie?’
Evans said: “I thought ‘I’ve got the time wrong so I’ll try weave this back in.’
“All of those things did happen but not in the right order. I was doing it to make myself look better.”
Mr Lewis said: “So it was a deliberate lie?”
Evans said: “Yes.”
When pressed about the discrepancies in his interview, the defendant said: “If I had known anything about that young man’s death I would have given it up, if I had known anything beforehand I would have desperately tried to stop it. For all the lies, I had nothing to do with that boy’s death.”
In follow-up questions, Evans’ barrister, Greg Bull QC, referred to a previous allegation of murder made about the defendant earlier in his life.
He asked: “Have you been accused of murder before?”
Evans said: “Yes. In the Royal Navy.” Mr Bull said: “Were you convicted?” Evans said: “No.”
Mr Bull asked: “Were you cleared?” Evans said: “Yes.”
Mr Bull asked: “How did you feel when the investigation was taking place?”
Evans said: “Confused, clucking a bit, frightened. I was grieving for my dog.”
Mr Bull said: “There came a time you suspected Clifford, Symons and [the youth] had something to do with Harry Baker. Did you know they had anything to do with it?”
Evans said: “Not at the time.”
Mr Bull said: “Did watching the videos prompt you remembering more than three people got in the car?”
Evans said: “I have to accept it happened because I can see it but I still can’t remember five people getting into the car.”
Mr Bull said: “Was there anything sinister about you leaving your journey to Hillary Rise out of the police interview?”
Evans said: “No.”
The trial, before Mr Justice Picken, continues.