Journalist’s Persistence Keeps Serial Killer Behind Bars
A Reporter’s Courageous Decision to Challenge the Status Quo
Wanderstayfinder.com – Ros Astengo, a Gibraltar-based journalist whose beat typically encompasses political and social matters, experienced considerable hesitation when she first delved into the circumstances surrounding Allan Grimson’s impending release. Having already served more than two decades behind bars, the suspected serial killer was approaching his potential freedom. Astengo’s concerns were twofold: she feared reopening painful wounds for survivors of Grimson’s crimes, yet she also worried about placing herself in the “crosshairs” of a violent offender who had sexually assaulted and beaten two young men to death during the late 1990s while serving as a Royal Navy petty officer.
“But the public interest overrode it,” Astengo explained. “It would have been so easy for me to have just done nothing. But I thought to myself, how would I feel if as soon as they let him out he reoffended and harmed another young man. My motive was to keep the public safe.”
Four Men Step Forward After Years of Silence
Astengo’s investigative efforts yielded remarkable results. Four men emerged from the shadows to report sexual assaults committed by Grimson during the same period as the two murders. On Monday, a jury at Winchester crown court delivered a verdict finding Grimson guilty of 13 sexual offences connected to these men—convictions that could extend his imprisonment considerably.
Judge Dugdale characterized Grimson as an “extremely dangerous man” during the 1990s and requested comprehensive reports to determine whether he continued to pose a serious threat. The judge also ordered victim personal statements to be collected from the four men. He commended the jury for hearing what he described as a “very unusual case” and asked them to reconvene in November when he would deliver his sentence.
“The men were incredibly brave to come to court, bring all this back into their lives,” Astengo reflected on the proceedings.
A History of Offences Previously Overlooked
Grimson received a life sentence in 2001, with a minimum term of 22 years for the sexual abuse and murder of Nicholas Wright, aged 18, and Sion Jenkins, aged 20, both of whom had served in the navy in Portsmouth. The sentencing judge at the time described Grimson as a “serial killer in nature if not by number.”
During police interviews at that time, Grimson also confessed to sexual offences involving four additional men—three young sailors and one teenage boy. He revealed that he had contemplated killing two of them, though the Crown Prosecution Service chose not to pursue those allegations since Grimson was already facing a lengthy prison term for the murders.
While incarcerated, Grimson maintained exemplary conduct, hoping to secure release after completing his 22-year minimum term. In November 2020, the Parole Board recommended his transfer to an open prison as part of his preparation for eventual freedom.
The Simon Parkes Connection
During this period, Astengo was reporting on the search for the body of sailor Simon Parkes, who disappeared in Gibraltar in 1986. Grimson had been present in the British overseas territory at that time and has long been considered a suspect, though he denies any involvement. No remains were ever discovered, and Astengo noted she was profoundly moved when Parkes’s elderly parents, Margaret and David from south-west England, described this investigation as their final opportunity to obtain justice.
“It was a very lonely journey for them,” she said. Astengo made a commitment to write a book about her son’s case to ensure his memory endured. As she conducted her research, she discovered that Grimson had made admissions regarding the four boys and young men, yet no legal action had been initiated.
“I was astonished that he was never charged over them,” Astengo recalled. “I was alarmed that Grimson seemed close to being released. I knew what he had done to those boys. That really worried me. How could he be fully rehabilitated? I was worried he would go back into the community thinking he’s gotten away with it. I realised I was putting myself in the crosshairs of a killer but I thought something needed to be done.”
Justice Finally Arrives
Astengo located one of the four victims and traveled to the United Kingdom to interview him. “I found a very angry man who was still hurt, angry and upset that he had never seen justice,” she recounted. “He started talking about the fact that he was older now and a parent. He understands today what he didn’t back then – that was that he was groomed.”
Astengo advised the man that he could file a fresh complaint against Grimson. “I said to him, think very carefully about what you’re doing because you are going to open a can of worms for yourself.” The man proceeded to speak with police, though initially no action was taken. Astengo then contacted the child sexual abuse review panel, which examines allegations of non-recent child sexual offences. The panel agreed the case warranted re-examination.
Following interviews with the man and the tracking down of the three other victims by detectives, Grimson was charged in February 2025 over the attacks. The month-long trial highlighted how far the justice system had come in addressing historical abuse, demonstrating that victims could finally receive the recognition and accountability they deserved decades after the crimes occurred.
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