Fred West - Biography - Marriage To Catherine "Rena" Costello

Marriage To Catherine "Rena" Costello

In September 1962, the 21-year-old West became re-acquainted with a former girlfriend, Catherine Costello, who was now better known as Rena from her time working as a prostitute. Costello was already pregnant by another man, and she and West married on 17 November before moving to Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. Her daughter, Charmaine Carol, was born on 22 February 1963. Costello and West claimed they had adopted Charmaine, whose father was from Pakistan. In July 1964 Costello bore West a daughter named Anne Marie. During this period in Coatbridge, West worked as an ice cream van driver. On 4 November 1965, he ran over and killed a four-year-old boy with his van.

The family, along with Isa McNeill who looked after the couple's children and Costello's friend Anne McFall, moved into the Lakeside Caravan Park in Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire at the end of 1965 when West feared for his safety following the ice cream van incident. To escape from West's sadistic sexual demands, Costello and McNeill moved to Scotland in 1966 while McFall, who had become infatuated with West and the two children, remained. Costello continued to visit the children every few months. In August 1967 McFall, who was eight months pregnant with West's child, vanished. She was never reported missing and her remains were found in June 1994.

In September 1967, Costello returned to live with West, but left again the following year, leaving the children in West's care.