Murder suspect on trial in Sheffield denies killing sex worker and dumping body in river

Gary Allen, aged 47, is accused of two murders 21 years apart – one in Hull in 1997 and another in Rotherham in 2018.

He told jurors in Sheffield yesterday that he did not strangle, beat or drive over Samantha Class, whose body was found on the banks of the Humber estuary near Hull over two decades ago.

Allen is also accused of murdering mother-of-three Alena Grlakova, who was last seen in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Boxing Day 2018.

He is on trial for a second time over the murder of Ms Class after being acquitted in 2000.

The court has heard that Allen had a sexual encounter with the 29-year-old in the early hours of October 26, 1997.

Her body was found by schoolchildren later that day.

Giving evidence yesterday, he told jurors he had picked Ms Class up in his car in Hull and paid her £30 for sex.

He said she asked if he could drop her off afterwards but he ‘just wanted to get home’ so she walked away from his car.

Katherine Goddard QC, representing Allen, asked him: “What was the last you saw of Ms Class that night?”

He replied: “Just walking off.”

Ms Goddard said: “Did you kill her?”

Allen answered: “No, of course not.”

Asked why he did not go to the police to tell them about his encounter with Ms Class when he realised she had died, he said: “I don’t trust people, really, I didn’t expect the police to believe me.”

The jury has been told that Allen was later convicted of attacking two sex workers in separate attacks in Plymouth.

Allen also denied reports by probation officers that he told them he had a “strong dislike of sex workers”, believed they were “the lowest of the low” and had fantasies about hurting them.

He replied “no” when Ms Goddard asked him: “Did you fantasise about hurting prostitutes or hurting women?”

Allen, of no fixed address, denies two counts of murder.

The trial continues.

POLICE: South Yorkshire Police seize 89 guns in crackdown on organised crime

LATEST: Police issue urgent warning over bogus doorstep callers in two areas of Sheffield