Alphonse Le Gastelois
| Alphonse Le Gastelois | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 October 1914 Jersey |
| Died | 3 June 2012 (aged 97) Jersey |
| Residence | Jersey |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | St Martin's School |
| Occupation | Agricultural worker and fisherman |
| Height | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
Alphonse Le Gastelois (14 October 1914 – 3 June 2012) was an agricultural worker and fisherman from Jersey who lived in self-imposed exile on the Écréhous reef for 14 years after being wrongly accused of a string of sexual assaults on children. Fearing for his life, Le Gastelois felt compelled to leave Jersey to live on the small island six miles to the north east of Jersey, having been treated as a criminal and ostracised by many who lived on Jersey. Ten years later, on 10 July 1971, the real criminal, Edward Paisnel, nicknamed the Beast of Jersey, was caught and on 29 November 1971, was sentenced to jail for 13 attacks; this ended an 11-year reign of terror.
Le Gastelois was born on the island of Jersey to French parents. His father was from Besneville and his mother from Montgardon. He studied at St Martin's School.
In a documentary, a journalist described how Le Gastelois liked to roam the country lanes at night. Stan de la Haye of the Honorary Police described Le Gastelois as a loner who wore a dirty old raincoat tied up with a piece of rope - thus matching the description of the wanted man.
Unfounded grudges against Le Gastelois were formed in fear, and fueled by the local police force in Jersey not speaking out to silence gossip. As the hysteria reached fever pitch, Le Gastelois' unconventional lifestyle led him to become one of 30 suspects arrested during an investigation by Scotland Yard. He was released after 14 hours of questioning due to a lack of evidence. His clothes were sent for forensic examination at Scotland Yard, and on release he was issued with ill-fitting clothes. Unlike the other suspects, Le Gastelois' name was released to the public, and he became a scapegoat.
The attacks of the Beast of Jersey continued unabated. Public suspicion against Le Gastelois remained so strong, however, that his cottage was burnt down in an act of arson.
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