Ex’s Killer Dies Behind Bars After Brutal Double Slaying in Ilford
Paul Mallin’s Deadly Rampage
Paul Mallin, who viciously murdered his ex-girlfriend and her 86-year-old fiancé in a sheltered housing unit in Ilford, has died in custody. Mallin, 59, was serving a 19-year prison sentence handed down in April 2016 for the horrific attack. He passed away from natural causes in February last year, shortly after being granted compassionate release from HMP High Down due to terminal cancer.
Jealous Rage Leads to Shocking Killings
The tragic events unfolded in September 2015 at Fernways sheltered housing on Cecil Road, Ilford. Mallin had grown bitter after Karen Read, 53, ended their relationship and got engaged to their neighbour, John Down, an 86-year-old great-grandfather. The court heard Mallin’s jealousy turned violent, with months of harassment that included spitting at Mr Down and stabbing/" title="Stabbing" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">stabbing his wall with a knife.
Investigators revealed Mallin conducted over 300 chilling online searches about poisons, including queries on “poison that doesn’t show up in an autopsy” and “Ricin Breaking Bad.”
The Night of Terror
On the night of September 5, 2015, Mallin broke into Mr Down’s flat around 10pm armed with a knife and meat cleaver. Despite Mr Down desperately trying to block the door, Mallin slashed through, stabbing the elderly man repeatedly. Disabled Karen Read was trapped in her armchair, forced to witness the nightmare before Mallin turned his rage on her, stabbing her to death.
Judge Slams ‘Worst Possible Circumstances’
At sentencing, Judge Richard Marks KC condemned the murders as happening “in the worst possible circumstances.” He added:
“They were completely defenceless and highly vulnerable. They suffered terrible injuries and met their deaths in the worst possible way.”
The police described the case as one of the most distressing incidents ever seen in the borough, leaving a community scarred by the violence.
Case Closed But Trauma Lingers
Though Mallin’s death happened over a year ago, it only emerged in the recent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman report. His passing from terminal illness closes the final chapter on a grim case that shocked Ilford. However, the trauma and heartbreak still run deep for the victims’ families and community.
