Three men from southeast London have been found guilty of plotting to murder former cagefighter Paul Allen, who was left paralysed after a brutal assassination attempt in July 2019. The case, presented at the Old Bailey, revealed a chilling narrative of organized crime, meticulous planning, and a dramatic heist.
On March 24, 2025, the jury delivered its verdict after a five-week trial that exposed the depths of criminality employed by the defendants: Louis Ahearne (36), his brother Stewart Ahearne (46), and Daniel Kelly (46). All three were convicted of conspiracy to murder Allen, whose past includes a notorious conviction for his role in Britain’s largest cash robbery, amounting to £54 million lost in the Securitas heist at Tonbridge in 2006.
The intention to kill Allen was chillingly clear, as it was revealed that the attackers “very nearly succeeded.” Prosecutor Michael Shaw KC stated, “This was a meticulously researched and planned assassination attempt by a team of men well-versed in the level of criminality to pull it off.”
Allen, now 47, was shot six times in his kitchen in Woodford Green, east London, on the night of July 11, 2019, when he was ambushed by the defendants. The attack left him paralysed after being shot in the neck. The trial highlighted how the defendants carried out extensive surveillance on Allen prior to the shooting, indicating a well-orchestrated approach to their criminal endeavor.
Narrating the lead-up to the shooting, jurors learned that a month before the attack, the Ahearne brothers and Kelly had stolen highly valuable Chinese Ming Dynasty artefacts, worth over $3.5 million (£2.78 million), from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva. This heist required significant planning, which also included using unregistered pay-as-you-go phones for communication and tracking devices that ultimately facilitated their murderous plot.
Before the shooting, the defendants had placed a tracking device on Allen’s Mercedes, allowing them to pinpoint his location. They traveled from their Woolwich neighborhood to his home and, at approximately 11:09 PM, fired several shots through the back doors and windows as he stood in his kitchen. Allen was struck in the throat and hand, with one bullet tragically lodging in his spine, resulting in life-altering injuries.
After the shooting, the assailants fled the scene quickly, but they left behind crucial evidence. During the police investigation, DNA samples were recovered from a garden fence adjoining Allen's property, matching both Louis and Stewart Ahearne. Bullet shell casings found at the scene linked the crime to a Glock handgun, which was later traced back to Kelly's residence.
The court also learned that the defendants had attempted to offload another valuable item from their Geneva heist. On October 16, 2020, Stewart Ahearne was apprehended, along with an accomplice, at a hotel in London, as they attempted to sell a 14th-century An Huan phoenix design bowl to an undercover police officer.
Following their arrest, the brothers faced extradition from Switzerland to stand trial in the UK. They had been previously sentenced for aggravated theft but had not faced charges related to Allen’s shooting until now. The evidence presented, including testimony of their prior criminality and successful planning of previous burglaries, painted a clear picture of their intent to murder.
While defending himself, Louis Ahearne claimed he was merely a participant in what he believed to be a robbery attempt on a drug dealer on the day of the shooting, denying any conspiracy to take Allen's life. However, his assertion was met with skepticism, given the overwhelming evidence against him. Upon hearing the guilty verdicts, Ahearne reacted bitterly, shouting to the jury, “You are only human. That’s all I have to say about that.”
Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC has ordered that the trio be remanded in custody until their sentencing on April 25, 2025. Detective Superintendent Matt Webb, from the Metropolitan Police, described their actions as “horrific criminality,” indicating that this high-stakes murder plot bore all the hallmarks of a Hollywood blockbuster, yet the reality was far more sinister.
As the case unfolds, it starkly reveals the extent of organized crime in London and the serious implications of returning individuals like Allen to society who have previously perpetrated serious felonies. The consequences of their actions will now heavily weigh upon the defendants as they await their sentencing, with significant custodial sentences likely to follow.
