Allan Grimson, the former Royal Navy petty officer serving life for the murders of two young sailors, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting four additional victims—including a 14-year-old boy. The 66-year-old was convicted at Winchester Crown Court on Monday of offences spanning 1994 to 1999, ensuring he will remain behind bars.
For context: Grimson was originally sentenced in 2001 for the brutal killings of Nicholas Wright, 18, and Sion Jenkins, 20, whom he bludgeoned with a baseball bat after they rejected his advances. His crimes were committed in the same Portsmouth flat where he later assaulted his new victims.
Pattern of abuse revealed in court
The court heard Grimson targeted vulnerable young men, primarily naval recruits he met as an instructor at the Royal Navy Firefighting School on Horsea Island. Prosecutor John Price KC described him as a "big, powerful man" who exploited his authority over trainees in their late teens.
Two of the assault victims testified that Grimson had considered killing them, mirroring his murder methods. One victim, then 14, was taken to Grimson’s flat—weeks before the first murder—where he was assaulted while the attacker’s friend slept nearby. Grimson later told police the boy was "lucky" to survive.
Links to unsolved disappearance
Grimson remains the prime suspect in the 1986 disappearance of Simon Parkes, an 18-year-old sailor last seen in Gibraltar, where Grimson was stationed. Though never charged, Parkes’ family has stated they are "100 per cent certain" of his involvement.
Police previously investigated Grimson for up to 20 potential victims after his 1999 arrest, visiting ports where he served aboard the aircraft carrier Illustrious and destroyer Edinburgh. Despite his denials, psychiatrists concluded his crimes were driven by a desire for power and anger over his appearance.
What happens next
Grimson, who showed no emotion during the verdict, will remain in prison with no prospect of parole. His legal team had argued the new charges were a "tactic" to block his earlier parole recommendation, but the court rejected this claim. The case has reignited scrutiny of the Navy’s handling of abuse allegations during Grimson’s tenure.
