Allan Grimson, Murderer Convicted in 2001, Found Guilty of 13 Sexual Offences from the 1990s

Herz — World Desk · 27 July 2026 at 15:13 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What We Know

On 27 July 2026, the jury of Winchester Crown Court found Allan Grimson guilty of 13 sexual offences committed against four men in the 1990s, according to The Guardian.

Grimson, a former petty officer in the Royal Navy, has been serving a life sentence since 2001 for the sexual murders of Nicholas Wright, aged 18, and Sion Jenkins, aged 20, both former sailors, committed in Portsmouth. The minimum sentence was set at 22 years.

Upon pronouncing the verdict, Judge Dugdale described Grimson as 'an extremely dangerous man in the 1990s'. He has ordered risk assessment reports and will hear victim statements before the sentencing hearing scheduled for November 2026.

Journalist Investigation Led to New Prosecution

Journalist Ros Astengo, based in Gibraltar and specializing in politics and social issues, revived the case. Her investigations, undertaken as Grimson approached possible parole, prompted four men to file complaints for sexual assaults from the 1990s.

In November 2020, the British Parole Board recommended Grimson's transfer to an open prison to prepare for his release, citing his good conduct in prison.

Facts the Prosecution Declined to Pursue in 2001

As early as 2001, during questioning for the Portsmouth murders, Grimson admitted to sexual offences or inappropriate contact with four other people — three young sailors and a teenager.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) — the public prosecuting authority for England and Wales — decided not to pursue these charges, reasoning that Grimson would already be serving a lengthy prison sentence for the murders. These admissions went unprosecuted for over twenty years.

Timeline

1. 1986
   Sailor Simon Parkes disappears in Gibraltar while Allan Grimson is on duty there. Grimson has long been suspected of involvement in the disappearance, which he denies; no remains have ever been found.
2. 1990s
   Grimson commits a series of sexual assaults against at least four men. These acts are not prosecuted until 2026.
3. 2001
   Sentenced to life imprisonment (minimum term: 22 years) for the murders of Nicholas Wright and Sion Jenkins in Portsmouth. The judge describes him as 'a serial killer by nature, if not by numbers'. During questioning, he admits to sexual offences against four other people, but the CPS abandons prosecution.