Inquest: Father’s letter revealed plot to avenge son’s death
Inquests shed light on a “violent, vicious and brutal” revenge by a grieving father from Peterborough against the man he came to blame for his beloved cage-fighting son’s fatal drug overdose.
Grieving father Roy Allison Snr stabbed to death the man he blamed for his son’s fatal overdose before killing himself.
And he left a chilling message by his victim’s body, an inquest has been told.
A piece of A4-sized card was placed prominently next to the body of 36-year-old Duncan Bell and declared: “This drug dealer took my son, took our whole lives - I’ve just taken his.”
The message carried on the placard echoed the content of an 11-page letter Roy Allison Snr (65), of Hetley, Orton Goldhay, sent to 14 addresses, including the Peterborough Telegraph and police.
It explained his intention to kill Mr Bell who he blamed for his son’s death about three-and-a-half months earlier.
Labelling Mr Bell as “one of the biggest dealers of drugs in this area”, in it he said: “It won’t bring my son back but the man who caused it will not walk the Earth anymore.”
But the inquest also heard that Roy Allison Jnr had provided some of the drugs he had shared with friends as they were intent on “having a good time” on the fatal night on March 21 last year.
A few months later Mr Bell was found dead at Roy Allison Snr’s home shortly after 4am on July 1.
At an inquest at Peterborough Town Hall, coroner David Heming said Mr Bell had been the “victim of a vicious and brutal” attack, in which it was likely he had been knocked unconscious before being stabbed multiple times, with the fatal blow being a stab wound to the heart.
Mr Bell’s mother Diane Bell (59), of Winyates, Orton Golday, spoke sympathetically at the inquest towards Roy Allison Snr.
She said: “I forgive him for what he did because he wasn’t in his own right mind, bless him.”
Mr Bell’s inquest was held together with inquests for Roy Allison Snr and his son.
The inquest was told Roy Allison Jnr, a cage-fighter, died on March 21 at the home he shared with his father in Hetley from an overdose of ecstasy.
He had been celebrating his 28th birthday with Mr Bell and friend Grant Maker (28), of London Road, Peterborough, drinking alcohol and sharing a gram of MDMA (ecstasy) and a gram of cocaine.
Mr Maker - the only one of the three at the party still alive - told the inquest Roy Allison Jnr had already been in possession of the cocaine, but the trio had walked to Mr Bell’s house to collect the MDMA.
He said the group’s intention was to “have a good time” and stressed Roy Allison Jnr was aware of the drugs he was taking.
He said: “Nobody coerced anybody to do anything. It was all a really nice evening, not one bad thing. It was not like a kiddy peer pressure thing.”
Mr Bell left the Allison home about 2am, with Mr Maker following about 5am.
Mr Maker said he had no cause for concern at the time of his departure, saying Roy Allison Jnr was stable on his feet and had been holding a conversation with the taxi driver who had arrived to collect him.
He said he later received two text messages from him, one at about 5.20am, with the message “Wish you didn’t go, bro” and “not done yet”, plus an incomplete message five minutes later.
Roy Allison Jnr’s body was found in his room that evening by Mr Bell who had called at the Allison home to pick him up for a training session.
Reading from a statement Mr Bell made before his death, Mr Heming said: “I knew Roy was dead just by looking at him.”
Det Con John Cox, who led the investigation into the murder-suicide, said following Roy Allison Jnr’s death Mr Bell “regularly visited” Roy Allison Snr to provide support.
He said: “They would talk about Jnr, about the good days and the good times they’d had.”
He said it may have been during this period he “mentioned something” that took place on the night of Roy Allison Jnr’s death which led his father to holding Mr Bell responsible for his son’s fatal overdose.
There was no evidence presented to the inquest that Mr Bell was a drug dealer and a verdict of misadventure was recorded for the death of Roy Allison Jnr.
Verdicts of unlawful killing and suicide were recorded for Duncan Bell and Roy Allison Snr respectively.
Mr Heming said: “It’s clear there was a gathering of friends and there was the intention to consume drugs, but the unintended consequence in Roy Allison Jnr’s case was he sadly lost his life.”
Speaking afterwards, Mrs Bell, who hugged Roy Allison Jnr’s mother, Mary Brunyee, after the verdict, said: “I’m glad the truth is out. Duncan was not a drug dealer. It was three lads partying away.”
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/...revealed-plot-to-avenge-son-s-death-1-4738980
