Allan Grimson, a former Royal Navy petty officer who was imprisoned for life in 2001 for the murders of two young men, now faces allegations of sexually assaulting four other boys and men during the same period. The case has shed light on the darker side of his time as an instructor at the Royal Navy's firefighting school, where he allegedly preyed upon vulnerable recruits.
Grimson was initially jailed for the murders of Nicholas Wright, 18, and Sion Jenkins, 20, who were brutally beaten to death at his flat in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in 1997 and 1998 respectively. The jury at Winchester Crown Court has heard that Grimson's position as a 'big powerful man' within the service, which he joined in 1978, gave him significant influence over young recruits.
One alleged victim, who was just 16 when he met Grimson during a firefighting course in 1999, described how the former petty officer allegedly took advantage of his position to commit acts of indecency. The complainant reportedly told officers that Grimson had shown him a baseball bat, which he referred to as his 'pride and joy', and had raped him on one occasion.
Another disturbing allegation involves a 14-year-old boy who Grimson allegedly took to visit the firefighting school in 1999. The youngster claimed that Grimson indecently assaulted him and became angry when asked to stop, warning him: 'If you tell anyone about this, I'll blame it on you and you'll get all the blame.'
Grimson's own confessions to police have raised further questions about his actions during this period. He reportedly told officers that the killings of Wright and Jenkins took place amidst 'sexual assaults' at his flat, and expressed frustration that another complainant he allegedly indecently assaulted had 'left the flat alive'. Grimson denies one count of rape, 11 counts of indecent assault, and one allegation of taking indecent photographs of a child. The trial is ongoing.