James Allen

James Allen was beaten to death at his home in Crow Lane, Romford on 17 December 1986.

He had suffered six or seven blows to the head.

His son was charged with his murder, but the charge was later dropped due to insufficient evidence. However, he was tried for hiring a hit man to murder him, but cleared. It was noted that at the trial the jury was not told that James Allen had been murdered, only that he had since died and would not be able to give evidence.

The court was told that his son wanted him dead because he had huge debts and wanted to inherit his fortune and that he had told a prospective hitman that he wanted him dead because he had terminal cancer.

However, although his son was acquitted of inciting to murder, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 7 years.

The court heard that James Allen's son had hidden massive debts through bad practice and lavish living and that he had wanted his father dead so he could inherit his fortune and pay them off. It was submitted that by the end of 1986 that his position was so desperate that he saw his only way out through killing his father as he was the sole heir to his father's estate.

The alleged hitman, who and been James Allen's son's chauffer and had lived in Romford, Essex, said that the son had asked him to shoot James Allen in the head. He said that James Allen's son had owed him £6,000 but had told him that if he killed his father that he would look after his family for the rest of his life.

It was heard that whilst in court that James Allen's son and the alleged hitman clashed whilst giving evidence, with James Allen's son shouting:

To which the alleged hitman replied:

It was reported then that a lawyer had to tell them to both keep quiet.

The chauffer said that he didn't go through with the killing. He said that he played along with James Allen's son when he asked him to kill his father at the Bell Hotel in Epping in late November 1986. He said that he went to the Bell Hotel where James Allen had been staying, but then called the son and told him that he couldn’t go through with the murder as he had been disturbed by the night watchman.

The police stated that a few days after that incident that James Allen was attacked at the same hotel by an unknown man that had gone to his room, knocked on his door and told him that he needed to exchange names and addresses as he had damaged his car. It was said that the man had then attacked James Allen from behind, grabbing him round his throat, throwing him on to his bed and then trying to suffocate him, leaving him unconscious.

It was heard that James Allen then moved out of the hotel and after receiving treatment in hospital, went to live at a flat owned by a friend in Crow Lane Romford. It was there, two weeks later, that he was beaten to death by an intruder on 17 December 1986. He received six or seven blows to the head.

The police said that property was stolen from the flat, but that there was no sign of any forced entry.

James Allen's son was then charged with his murder, but the charges were dropped by magistrates at Havering Court after it was heard there was insufficient evidence.

After that James Allen's son was committed for trial at the old bailey charged with inciting the chauffer to kill his father.

It was heard that James Allen's son loved spending money and that he lived a luxury lifestyle and bought a house worth £470,000. However, it was heard that as his debts mounted that he did sell his luxury flat and moved in to his girlfriend’s home in Sutherland Avenue in Maida Vale.

However, it was also heard that the business he ran with his father, selling commercial vehicles, was a disaster and that he couldn't face owning up to his father that he was a complete failure as a businessman. It  was heard that he deceived his father by pretending that the business was going well, but that in reality he had a £500,000 overdraft and that he then attempted to raise more money fraudulently and after that resorted to plotting to have his father killed and allegedly approached the hitman.

The alleged hitman said:

He added that James Allen's son told him that it would be a mercy killing because his father was suffering from cancer. He said that he even gave him a revolver, but that he handed it back immediately saying he would get his own gun, and that the date for the murder would be towards the end of November 1986.

However, James Allen's son denied the allegations, stating:

When he was asked why his chauffeur would make the allegations, he said:

The court heard that he had told the police that he took good care of his father and had travelled around Europe to find a suitable yacht for his father to use in retirement.

However, he admitted eight charges of fraud involving more than one million pounds.

The prosecution said that the son's nickname was 'Billy Liar', adding that the offences indicated that the description was an accurate one.

When the judge passed sentence, he said:

The son admitted that he had cheated finance companies and banks by borrowing money that he knew he couldn't pay back, and his defence stated:

Noting that he had been 'thoroughly spoilt' by his doting parents and that from the age of three he had been taken on luxury cruises around the world.

He was described as having had all the trappings of a wealthy man, but by spending lavishly he had built up debts of more than one million pounds.

It was noted that following his acquittal for inciting to murder his father, that James Allen's son stood to inherit his father’s £500,000 fortune.