Allan Grimson

Case record: Allan Grimson

Timeline

• December 1997 — Nicholas Wright met Allan Grimson, who had given him a telephone number.
• November 1997 — Grimson met naval recruit Nicholas Wright on a fire training course in Portsmouth.
• December 1999 — The bodies of Nicholas Wright and Sion Jenkins were discovered four miles apart north of Winchester, Hampshire.
• 12 December 1986 — Simon Parkes disappeared after a night out with colleagues in Gibraltar.
• 1986 — Simon Parkes was on shore leave in Gibraltar after a Far East tour on HMS Illustrious.
• 12 December 1986 — Someone matching Simon Parkes’ description was then seen drunk at a nearby naval function inside the Fleet Pavilion at the Hole in the Wall pub.
• March 28, 2001 — Allan Grimson was jailed for life after pleading guilty to the murders of two young men.
• 2001 — Grimson was told he must serve 22 years, later increased to 25 years by the then Home Secretary.
• Friday, 23 May 2008 — The High Court ruled that 22 years was "eminently justified" and Grimson won a three-year reduction in his minimum jail term.
• Tuesday, 3 April, 2001 — Police in Gibraltar investigated a possible link between Simon Parkes’ disappearance and killer Allan Grimson.

Background

Allan Grimson was a petty officer in the British Royal Navy. He was described in the media as a man crippled with "physical ugliness". His nickname among his college’s was `Frank' - short for Frankenstein. He had become known in connection with the murders of naval sailors after having been in the Navy for 22 years.

The offence

Murders of Nicholas Wright and Sion Jenkins

Allan Grimson admitted killing naval rating Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicester, and barman Sion Jenkins, 20, from Newbury, Berkshire.

Both murders involved sexual abuse. The court heard that Grimson had lured Nicholas Wright and Sion Jenkins to his flat in Portsmouth, sexually assaulted them, and then battered them to death with a baseball bat. The bodies were discovered in shallow graves at the side of lanes in Hampshire.

The bodies of the two victims were discovered four miles apart at the side of country lanes north of Winchester, Hampshire, in December 1999. Nicholas Wright’s body was found in a field next to the A272 at Cheriton. The body of Sion Jenkins was discovered near to the A32 at West Tisted.

Nicholas Wright

Grimson had met the young recruit Nicholas Wright on a fire training course in Portsmouth in November 1997. Grimson gave Nicholas Wright his telephone number to see if he wanted a lift back home to Leicester. The court heard Nicholas Wright was concerned about it and consulted his family, asking them if Grimson could be homosexual, and they told him to take care.

The following month, Nicholas Wright and Grimson went back to Grimson’s home after leaving a Portsmouth nightclub. Grimson told police he touched and kissed Nicholas Wright and told the teenager he wanted to go upstairs, but Nicholas Wright refused. Grimson became angry, punched him in the face, and hit him with a baseball bat.

Grimson told officers that Nicholas Wright said: "Why don't you kill me?" Prosecutor Anthony Donne QC said:

The defendant in his own words said he just lost it. "He struck him severely hard blows to the head, cut his throat with a carving knife and threw him in the bath."

Grimson explained to the court that the killing had not been sexual, but about control and power. He had described to police that attacking Nicholas Wright had given him a feeling which was "better than sex". The court also heard that Grimson had punched the air in triumph and let out a roar after hitting the teenager with a baseball bat, slitting his throat and slicing off his ear. Prosecutor Anthony Donne QC said Grimson told officers:

It was such a feeling. I have never had that feeling. It was a feeling of power, a good feeling.

In the account presented to police, Grimson sliced off part of Nicholas Wright's right ear, cut his throat, and threw his body to the floor. Grimson later said during an interview with police that he wanted to dismember the body as a trophy. He also admitted performing a sex act on the dead body. He carried Nicholas’s body to the bathroom, dumped it in the bath, took a shower, and went to sleep. The next day he wrapped Nicholas in black bin liners and drove him to a shallow grave along the A272 near the village of Cheriton and hid the body in a hedgerow.

Grimson referred to the killing of Nicholas Wright as "The Nicholas Wright experience".

Sion Jenkins

Sion Jenkins had been murdered a year later. The court heard that after accompanying Grimson back to his home, Grimson’s attack began when Jenkins refused to have sex with him and Grimson got angry. During the night, the pair did have sex, but in the morning when Jenkins said he wanted to leave, Grimson killed him with a baseball bat.

At trial, the jury was told Grimson lured Sion Jenkins to his flat in Portsmouth, sexually assaulted him, and then battered him to death with a baseball bat.

A later account described Jenkins as the barman at the Hogshead pub in Palmerston Road, Southsea, whom Grimson spotted outside Joanna's nightclub in Southsea. It said Grimson decided to lure Jenkins to his flat at 143A London Road in North End. Once there, he stripped Jenkins, tortured him, and raped him several times, keeping him there overnight. It said Jenkins was left the next day bound by his wrists and ankles over the bath. It then said Grimson came home to finish the job and smashed his skull in with a baseball bat. The account further stated Grimson told police he didn't get the same thrill as with Nicholas because Sion didn’t put up a fight.

Investigation

Police in Gibraltar investigated a possible link between the disappearance of Royal Navy sailor Simon Parkes and killer Allan Grimson.

Police in Gibraltar appealed for information surrounding Simon Parkes’ disappearance and said, depending on what came to light, they could consider traveling to the UK to question Grimson. The investigation said Royal Gibraltar Police would join forces with Hampshire police, who carried out the original investigation into Grimson.

It was stated that police uncovered human remains in the botanical gardens in Gibraltar last week but tests showed they were not Simon’s body.

Royal Gibraltar Police appealed for information about Simon Parkes’ disappearance and asked for contact from:

• Simon Parkes’ colleagues who were with him on the night he disappeared, and
• any person who was at the bars or Fleet Pavilion to contact the police, and
• persons serving on board HMS Illustrious in December 1986 to contact them.

Arrest

There was no explicit arrest event described. However, it was stated that police questioned fellow seamen and that one name kept popping up, leading to Grimson being called in for questioning. The next day, Grimson also told police about Sion’s murder.

Trial

Plea and trial court

Allan Grimson admitted the killings at his trial at Winchester Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to the murders of two young men.

Judge Peter Cresswell sentenced Grimson at Winchester Crown Court and described him as a "serial killer in nature if not by number." He further told Grimson:

You are a serial killer in nature if not by number. "You are a highly dangerous serial killer who killed two young men in horrifying and appalling circumstances."

Court findings and arguments on minimum term

The argument presented on Grimson’s behalf was that an appropriate minimum term should be 16 years, 262 days, taking into account time spent in jail awaiting sentence.

At the High Court, Mr Justice Plender said the murders "were exceptionally serious, even when compared to other murders involving sexual or sadistic conduct". It was also said Grimson, who had a personality disorder, was entitled to a reduction in the minimum term to reflect the time that he spent on remand.

The High Court ruled that 22 years was "eminently justified".

Sentencing

Allan Grimson was jailed for life in 2001 after pleading guilty to murdering Nicholas Wright, 18, and Sion Jenkins, 20.

He was told he must serve 22 years but that was increased later that year to 25 years by the then Home Secretary.

Appeals

There was a three-year reduction in his minimum jail term, following court action covered in May 2008.

Outcome

Minimum term reduction and legal position

Grimson won a three-year reduction in his minimum jail term.

Aftermath

Simon Parkes disappearance link

Simon Parkes, 18, from Kingswood in south Gloucestershire, was a radio operator on HMS Illustrious when he disappeared on 12 December 1986 after a night out with colleagues in Gibraltar. Someone fitting his description was then seen drunk at a nearby naval function inside the Fleet Pavilion at the Hole in the Wall pub. It was stated that Parkes had left his passport, possessions, and Christmas presents for his family on the ship and had written to his parents saying he would be home for Christmas.

Serving on the ship at the same time was petty officer Allan Grimson, who had been jailed for life last week after admitting the murders of naval rating Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicestershire, and barman Sion Jenkins, 20, from Newbury.

Police said Grimson had drawn rough maps showing areas where they should search but he refused to identify the exact location. It was stated that police sources said Grimson gave details of how he killed Simon Parkes because he had been persuaded that the grieving parents had a right to know the truth and give him a proper burial.

Grimson had hinted that two other men might be buried nearby.

Simon Parkes’ mother, Margaret, issued a plea to Grimson:

Please tell us the truth and end our nightmare. "In December 1986 our world stopped. Not knowing what happened to Simon has haunted us for 16 years. "We know he isn't alive but we cannot begin to grieve. I need to know where Simon is. We want him to be found so we can bring him home and give him a proper burial."

Simon’s former girlfriend Maria Storey, of Exeter, Devon, told Grimson:

Don't play mind games with us."

She added:

Ever since Simon vanished we've been in limbo. He was my first love. I look for him in every man I meet. He was so special to me. It was love at first sight. He was so caring, considerate and sensitive.

Maria Storey also appealed to the killer:

Please tell us the whole truth. Stop playing games with us and the police.

A police source said:

There may be as many as 15 other sailors who were victims around the world.

The police source said Grimson frequented gay bars wherever he went and that it was likely he killed other young men.

Grimson was described as refusing to help police find the body of Simon Parkes.

Other details

Grimson’s conduct and statements during investigations and sentencing

It was stated that Grimson told police he would kill again and boasted that murder was better than sex.

In the sentencing account, the court heard that Grimson described to police that attacking Nicholas Wright gave him a feeling which was "better than sex".

The trial also included a description of Grimson’s comments about missing his victims, including: "Why don't you kill me?" and other details about his account of the killings.

Homes and locations mentioned in the offence accounts

Grimson was said to be of London Road, Portsmouth. He was said to be from North Shields. Locations mentioned included:

• HMS Illustrious,
• Gibraltar,
• Winchester, Hampshire,
• Portsmouth nightclub,
• Nicholas Wright’s body site: next to the A272 at Cheriton,
• Sion Jenkins’ body site: near the A32 at West Tisted,
• lanes north of Winchester,
• the A272 near the village of Cheriton,
• the Hogshead pub in Palmerston Road, Southsea,
• Joanna's nightclub in Southsea,
• 143A London Road in North End,
• the Horseshoe bar in Gibraltar,
• the Fleet Pavilion inside the Hole in the Wall pub,
• botanical gardens in Gibraltar,
• Portsmouth (fire training course, trial-related descriptions).

Individuals named

Victims named were:

• Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicester.
• Sion Jenkins, 20, from Newbury, Berkshire.
• Simon Parkes, 18, from Kingswood in south Gloucestershire.

Family and other individuals named included:

• Margaret (Simon Parkes’ mother).
• Dave (Simon Parkes’ parent).
• Maria Storey, of Exeter, Devon.

Officials and legal figures named included:

• Judge Peter Cresswell.
• Mr Justice Plender.
• Anthony Donne QC.
• Appeal Superintendent James Mckay.

References to specific quoted remarks preserved verbatim

• Judge Peter Cresswell: "You are a serial killer in nature if not by number." and "You are a highly dangerous serial killer who killed two young men in horrifying and appalling circumstances."
• Mr Justice Plender: "were exceptionally serious, even when compared to other murders involving sexual or sadistic conduct".
• High Court ruling: 22 years was "eminently justified".
• Grimson to officers: "Why don't you kill me?"
• Grimson’s described feeling of power: "It was such a feeling. I have never had that feeling. It was a feeling of power, a good feeling."
• Maria Storey to Grimson: "Don't play mind games with us."
• Maria Storey: "Ever since Simon vanished we've been in limbo. He was my first love. I look for him in every man I meet. He was so special to me. It was love at first sight. He was so caring, considerate and sensitive."
• Maria Storey: "Please tell us the whole truth. Stop playing games with us and the police."
• Appeal Superintendent James Mckay: "We appeal to any of Simon Parkes' colleagues who were with him on the night he disappeared and also any person who was at the bars or Fleet Pavilion to contact the police. "We request that any persons serving on board HMS Illustrious in December 1986 contact us."
• Police source: "He has given us details of how he killed Simon Parkes because he's been persuaded that this young man's grieving parents have a right to know the truth and give him a proper burial."
• Police source: "There may be as many as 15 other sailors who were victims around the world."