A daughter has paid tribute to her “kind and loving father” who was stabbed to death in Ilford on her 64th birthday.
John Down, 86, and his partner Karen Reid, 53, were killed by her ex-boyfriend Paul Mallin in a sheltered housing unit on September 5.
Mallin, 51, who was a neighbour of the victims in Fernways, Cecil Road, Ilford, was due to go on trial for murder last week, but the prosecution dropped the charges based on psychological and psychiatric reports. He previously admitted two counts of manslaughter on January 4.
Pam White and her three sisters were in the public gallery at the Old Bailey to hear the decision.
She told the Recorder: “It has been a very traumatic time since I was informed of dad’s death on my 64th birthday, we have laid him to rest but we haven’t yet had grieving time.”
Pam lives in Bournemouth, where her father spent the first 40 years of his life.
“He was a kind and loving father who encouraged his children to be educated and to seek out their dreams,” she said.
Read the full exclusive interview in today’s Recorder.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here