A man who brutally killed his ex-girlfriend and her 86-year-old fiancé at a sheltered housing unit in Ilford has died while serving his prison sentence.
Paul Mallin, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison in April 2016, died of natural causes aged 59 after being granted compassionate release from HMP High Down due to terminal illness. According to a newly released report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Mallin died at a hospice in February last year, following a cancer diagnosis in October 2022.
Mallin had pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after carrying out a shocking and violent attack on Karen Read, 53, and her fiancé John Down, 86, at Fernways sheltered housing unit on Cecil Road, Ilford, in September 2015.
A Relationship Turned Deadly
The Old Bailey heard that Mallin had grown increasingly resentful after Miss Read ended their relationship and became engaged to their neighbour, Mr Down, earlier that year. In the months leading up to the killings, Mallin had threatened and harassed Mr Down, including spitting at him and stabbing his wall with a knife at the care home.
Investigators later discovered that Mallin had conducted over 300 online searches relating to poison, including terms such as “poison that doesn’t show up in an autopsy” and “Ricin Breaking Bad”, referencing the TV crime drama.
The Night of the Attack
On September 5, 2015, Mallin forced his way into Mr Down’s flat around 10pm, armed with a knife and meat cleaver. As Mr Down tried to block the door, Mallin slashed through and entered, stabbing the great-grandfather multiple times.
Miss Read, who was disabled and unable to move from her armchair, was forced to watch the horrific attack unfold before Mallin turned on her, inflicting fatal wounds.
A Judge’s Condemnation
During sentencing, Judge Richard Marks KC described the murders as “in the worst possible circumstances.”
“They were completely defenceless and highly vulnerable. They suffered terrible injuries and met their deaths in the worst possible way.”
The case shocked the local community and was described by police as one of the most distressing incidents ever seen in the borough.
Final Chapter Closed
Mallin’s death, though occurring over a year ago, has only now come to light through the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s annual report, which confirmed he died of natural causes while receiving end-of-life care.
While the case has now formally concluded, the trauma of the double killing still resonates deeply with the families of the victims and the wider Ilford community.
