Man jailed for murdering wife, children 27 years ago
Anthony John Allen, 68, of South Western Crescent, Poole, Dorset, was convicted after a 12-day trial at Exeter Crown Court of murdering his 39-year-old wife Patricia, seven-year- old son Jonathan and five-year-old daughter Victoria when they all lived in Salcombe, south Devon, in 1975.
The bodies of his family have never been found, and Mr Justice Steel told silver-haired Allen that he had kept a "terrible secret."
Former Salcombe restaurateur Eunice Yabsley, 67, who was Allen's mistress when he murdered his family, said after the case that she was glad he had been found guilty.
She acknowledged that Allen could die in prison, adding: "It is better than having him walking around free."
The officer who led the inquiry, Sup Paul Davies, said what Allen had done was a "despicable act" and was "sheer evil." The jury took just over nine hours at the end of a 12-day trial to convict Allen, who was ashen-faced and impassive as the verdicts were brought in.
But Allen's solicitor, Robert Renshaw said that Allen was devastated, maintained his innocence and wanted advice on an appeal. Allen was arrested and released by police in 1976, but in 1977 the Director of Prosecutions decided there was insufficient evidence for a case to proceed against him.
He was prosecuted after the investigation was reopened by police in 2001 who took a statement from Mrs Yabsley about scratches she saw on Allen's arm after Patricia vanished.
Allen had moved in with Mrs Yabsley at her Galley restaurant, within two months of Patricia and the children last being see in Salcombe, and they remained together until 1987.
In 1992 Mrs Yabsley, who still lives in Salcombe, wrote an autobiographical book Presumed Dead in her maiden name of Chapman about the events.
In it she mentioned that on the day after Mrs Allen vanished he she saw scratches on the defendant's arm.
Mrs Yabsley, a prosecution witness, said she did not mention the scratches to the police in 1976 out of loyalty to Allen, because he told her Patricia had scratched him during a row.
Prosecutor Mark Evans QC said it was as if they had "disappeared off the face of the earth."
Allen told the court that on Monday, May 26, 1975, Patricia left after a row about their failing marriage.
Sentencing Allen, Mr Justice Steel said: "Your success in disposing of the bodies very nearly thwarted the long arm of the law."
