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.
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.
[block_2]
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.
