Anthony John Allen (11 June 1934 – 8 August 2015), born Anthony John Angel, was a British murderer who was convicted in 2002 of having murdered his wife and children in 1975. He was a serial offender who had faked his own death in 1967 to escape prosecution for his crimes up to that point.
Biography
Allen was born as Anthony John Angel on 11 June 1934 in
Torbay
Torbay is a unitary authority with a borough status in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It is governed by Torbay Council, based in the town of Torquay, and also includes the towns of Paignton and Brixham. The borough consists of ...
, though he grew up largely in
Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
.
In the 1950s, he married his first wife, Monica, before being caught stealing
money
Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...
from his
workplace
A workplace is a location where someone works, for their employer or themselves, a place of employment. Such a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. For industrialized societies, the workplace is one of the ...
in 1966. To escape conviction, he faked his own
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
in 1967 by
drowning
Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...
near
Beachy Head
Beachy Head is a Chalk Group, chalk headland in East Sussex, England. It is situated close to Eastbourne, East Sussex, Eastbourne, immediately east of the Seven Sisters, Sussex, Seven Sisters.
Beachy Head is located within the administrative ar ...
, a popular spot for suicides in United Kingdom, leaving a pile of clothes and a
suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide.
A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...
. After assuming a new identity, he met Patricia and married her illegally soon after.
In July 1968, Allen was convicted of
bigamy
In a culture where only monogamous relationships are legally recognized, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their mar ...
and other crimes, receiving a
suspended prison sentence. In 1970, Allen was convicted of burning three bags of mail that he was meant to deliver, and spent one year in jail. Allen went on to divorce his first wife and marry Patricia legally in 1972.
By May 1975, Allen and his wife had two children, Jonathan, aged 7, and Victoria, aged 5, and were living in
Salcombe
Salcombe is a resort town in the South Hams district of Devon, south west England. The town is close to the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary, mostly built on the steep west side of the estuary. It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstand ...
, Devon. Allen was also having an affair with Eunice Yabsley. Allen claimed that between 25 and 30 May 1975, he and his wife had an argument and she left, returning two days later to take the children. Allen did not report them missing and none of the three were seen again.
His wife's car was later found nearby with
dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or Towing, towed by a Watercraft, larger vessel for use as a Ship's tender, tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they diffe ...
oars inside. Although police investigated at the time, there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution.
In 1992, five years after splitting up with Allen, Yabsley published an autobiographical book, ''Presumed Dead'', focusing on her relationship with Allen and the unsolved mystery.
In it was mentioned that Allen had scratches on his arms in May 1975. The police re-opened the murder enquiry in 2001, when they discovered that the man Allen had named as Patricia's boyfriend had suffered a severe
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
in 1972, and so would have been unable to help Patricia in the manner Allen had said.
Allen was tried and convicted of the murder of his second wife and his two children (although no bodies were ever found), and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002.
Death
Allen died on 8 August 2015, still maintaining his innocence.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Summary of the casein ''
The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...
''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, John
1934 births
2015 deaths
Criminals from Devon
English people convicted of murder
English murderers of children
Familicides in the United Kingdom
People convicted of murder by England and Wales
People who faked their own death
Murder convictions without a body