Gary Allen: Killer who ‘hated sex workers’ branded ‘danger to women’ after Sheffield trial

A killer who murdered two women 21 years apart has been branded ‘an obvious and immediate danger to women’.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Gary Allen, aged 47, was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court today of the murders of 29-year-old Samantha Class in Hull in October 1997 and 38-year-old Alena Grlakova in Rotherham in December 2018.

In a historic move, Allen was tried for a second time over Samantha’s murder, having been acquitted following a trial in 2000.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

New evidence allowed him to be tried again and the result of his first trial was quashed.

Gary AllenGary Allen
Gary Allen

Jurors were told that Allen had a hatred of sex workers and has convictions for two other attacks on women.

Claire Lindley, Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “Gary Allen has been found guilty of the murders of Samantha Class and Alena Grlakova. Both their families have now seen justice served.

“From the evidence presented to the court, it is clear that Allen is a dangerous individual who presents an obvious and immediate danger to women

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Allen lived out his horrifying and violent sexual fantasies through planned, premeditated and brutal assaults on these two vulnerable women.

“Their lives were cut cruelly short and their families are serving their own life sentences of grief. Our thoughts remain with them.”

Allen came to the attention of the police in July 1998 when he was stopped by police officers on suspicion of drink driving, and a routine DNA sample was taken, which proved a match with DNA recovered from the body and clothing of Samantha nine months earlier.

In his police interview, he admitted to having sex with Samantha on the night she disappeared, but denied her murder.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was tried and acquitted of her murder two years later and within six weeks of walking free from court attacked two other women in Plymouth.

In prison he told probation workers that sex workers were ‘scum’ and ‘the lowest of the low’. He also admitted to having regular, violent fantasies involving sex workers, stating: “I like to frighten them, I like to cause pain, I like to make them cry, I like blood, I like to hurt them, I enjoy it, it makes me feel good.”

In April 2019 the naked body of his second victim was discovered in a stream in the Parkgate area of Rotherham, where Allen was living.

Mum-of-four, Alena, met her killer at a bus stop in October 2018 and began to call at his flat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Allen said they sometimes had sex and he gave her money and cigarettes.

As part of the police investigation into Alena’s disappearance, analysis of her telephone records revealed that she and Allen had been in touch with each other. Allen was arrested in January 2019 on suspicion of breaking a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibited him from having contact with sex workers.

Further police investigations revealed CCTV evidence of Alena visiting Allen on Boxing Day 2018 – the day she vanished.

Electronic voice recordings made by Allen were found in which he threatened Alena with serious harm.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Analysis of his computer revealed that he had conducted searches for digging tools.

He also bought disposable gloves and a trowel, and was found to have searched news sites for reports of Alena’s disappearance.