Hero or villain? York author Carol Ann Lee invites us to make up our minds about David Smith, witness to the last killing by the Moors Murderers, reports MAXINE GORDON.

THE contrast in settings couldn’t be more acute. It’s a perfect summer’s day and Carol Ann Lee is enjoying a lager shandy in a beer garden of a York pub.

While others around are talking about visiting the Minster or organising a barbecue for the weekend, Carol Ann is recalling the story of Edward Evans, the last victim of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

Evans, a 17-year-old junior machine operator, was killed in the flat shared by the infamous couple, attacked by an axe-wielding Brady, on October 6, 1965.

David Smith – who was married to Hindley’s sister, Maureen – was in the flat at the time and witnessed the murder.

After helping the couple store the body in the upstairs room, Smith, fearful he would be the next victim, headed home and at first light called the police.

At the trial, Smith was the chief witness for the prosecution. But in many people’s minds, he was regarded as the third Moors murderer – not only because of his presence at Evans’ slaughter, but because Brady and Hindley accused him themselves.

Smith and his wife suffered abuse and attacks on a regular basis – people would spit at Maureen while she was out with her newborn baby.

However, there was no evidence that Smith was involved. Indeed, Hindley later confessed she and Brady lied in an attempt to reduce their sentences.

It could be argued that without Smith coming forward, Brady and Hindley’s chilling death count would have been more than five.

And it was evidence from Smith that led police to uncover two suitcases Hindley and Brady had stashed away at Central Station full of “souvenirs” of their previous killings, including tape recordings of Lesley Ann Downey and photographs of the pair standing by their victims’ graves – convincing detectives they were dealing with serial killings rather than a one-off.

Reviewing Smith’s role in the affair has been the task of Wilberfoss writer Carol Ann Lee in her new book, Witness (Mainstream, £11.99). It follows her biography of Hindley, One Of Your Own, which gained critical acclaim when it was published last year.

Smith, who now lives in rural Ireland with his second wife, surrounded by his four children and grandchildren, had been wary of telling his story.

However, Carol Ann won over his trust and together they began piecing together his account of that harrowing time in Greater Manchester.

Carol Ann said she was motivated by two reasons to write the book. “I wanted to tell the story properly and get the facts right,” she said, admitting that a favourite part of the writing process was leafing through the archives and interviewing the key parties.

“I am in no doubt that if David hadn’t gone to the police, other children would have been murdered. The police didn’t have a clue that Brady and Hindley were behind these crimes, there was nothing to link them at all. It is frustrating that people failed to see that over the years.”

However she also hopes the book will provoke a public demand for the police to reopen the search for the body of Keith Bennett, the only Moors victim yet to be found.

“I want to keep the story in the public eye; it would be fantastic if the police re-opened the search,” says Carol Ann, who has an 11-year-old son, River.

She plainly thinks it is wrong that officers seem to have given up on finding Keith. During her interviews with David Smith, he recounted the day trips he and Maureen would take with Hindley and Brady to the Moors for a picnic. All this information has been passed on to the police and the victims’ families.

“It seems to me very wrong that one child is left unfound,” said Carol, who through her research struck up a friendship with Keith Bennett’s younger brother, Alan.

“Alan believes the police need to get involved again and realise the search needs to be re-opened. The police say they won’t do it unless they have an ‘X marks the spot’,” says Carol Ann. “But we are talking about a small area; Shiny Brook is only a few miles, four at most.”

She notes the intervention of David Cameron in the reopening of the search for Madeleine McCann. “If David Cameron is willing to get behind one child, why not another?”

Carol Ann says Ian Brady may have photographs in his cell that could lead to Keith’s unmarked grave, but claims because Brady was never charged with the murder it is against human rights legislation to search his cell.

She says it would “mean everything” to Keith’s family to find the body. “It’s the difference between having Brady and Hindley keeping Keith and bringing him home. As long as Keith is still on the moor, it’s as if they still have him.”