London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Shocking CCTV shows fatal attack on banking executive in West End

Shocking CCTV shows fatal attack on banking executive in West End

Paul Mason was attacked by a complete strange as he walked through the West End on his way home from a meal with a friend at The Ivy

Shocking CCTV has been released of the fatal attack on a millionaire banker who was killed in a row over his phone, after his family said they were “immensely disappointed” that the killer was not convicted of murder.

Paul Mason, 52, was attacked by a complete stranger, 34-year-old Steven Allan, as he walked through the West End on his way home from a meal with a friend at The Ivy.

Allan, who had been drinking, was consumed by a mistaken belief that his friend’s phone had been stolen by Mr Mason, and he delivered a series of blows to leave the victim lying unconscious in the ground in West Street, Soho.


Electrician Steven Allan

Mr Mason, a highly respected banking executive who worked for the Qatar National Bank, suffered serious head injuries in the attack and died in hospital around six months later.

Allan admitted manslaughter and was acquitted by a jury of murder. At the Old Bailey on Thursday he was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Mr Mason’s family said afterwards: “We are immensely disappointed that the jury did not all see the intent to cause serious harm that most people who saw the CCTV concluded.

“We really hoped he would get a life sentence, but we must try to accept the jury’s decision. At least he will be imprisoned for killing Paul and we can start to move forward a little.

“Words cannot express how traumatised and distressed we were when we were told about the attack on Paul, a senseless act of violence on an entirely innocent man simply making his way home from an evening out with friends.”
Victim Paul Mason is seen on his phone as Stephen Allan approaches


The attack happened on December 15, 2020, when Allan – a project site manager in Hyde Park – was standing on a street corner waiting for his friend.

He had developed an unfounded suspicion that his friend was about to be robbed and tried to call him, and then wrongly came to the conclusion that Mr Mason, who was randomly walking by, had stolen his phone.

Footage shows Mr Mason recoiling in shock as Allan first tried to grab the phone from him. The banking executive turned to walk away, but was pursued Allan who first knocked him to the ground and then delivered another blow which left Mr Mason prone and unconscious on the ground.

Judge Michael Topolski KC called it a “horror story” as he sentenced Allan, and was apologetic to Mr Mason’s family as he imposed a jail term that will see Allan set free within a year.

Paul Mason walks away with his phone but is followed by Allan who punches him


“I’m well aware the sentence I’ve just passed will seem like nothing to (Mr Mason’s) family”, he said.

“The circumstances that to the defendant causing the death of a perfectly respectable and wholly innocent stranger who happened to be passing by are as extraordinary as they are tragic”, said the judge.

“During the course of cross-examination in your trial, you expressed that all the thought that evening amounted to unsupported nonsense.

“You said you had taken leave of your senses and behaved out of character because you genuinely believed you had an anxiety and panic attack that evening.

“You will have to live with the knowledge for the rest of your life that you were responsible for taking that man’s life. The mystery that underlines the behaviour is why you went from a heightened state of anxiety to a man of violence in a matter of seconds.”

Allan then appears to land another blow leaving Mr Mason lying motionless on the ground

In a powerful victim impact statement, Mr Mason’s sister Rachel Mason revealed that their brother Simon had died from an overdose just three months after Mr Mason succumbed to his injuries in December 2020.

“You’ve broken my family for evermore. I’m overwhelmed with feelings of shock, disbelief and hatred towards you. How dare you take Paul’s life?”, she said.

“I just can’t comprehend someone doing this to another human being especially someone I loved so much.”

Ms Mason said they had to watch their brother on FaceTime as lay in a coma due to Covid restrictions, calling him a “remarkable, kind, decent, gentle soul who was so successful in every aspect of his life, highly regarded in his international banking career, loved dearly by his family.”

Holding up his mobile phone in court and looking directly at Allan, she said: “This is Paul’s phone. You killed him for this.”

“I hope you feel sick in the pit of your stomach every day for the rest of your life as you live with being a, in my mind, murderer.” Allan, from Hook in Hampshire, left the scene of the attack within a minute of knocking Mr Mason unconscious, as heroic nurses who were passing tended to the injured man.

Allan handed himself in the following day after seeing CCTV images of himself being circulated by the Met Police. He admitted manslaughter but denied murder, and was acquitted at two criminal trials.

“Paul Mason’s death tragically illustrates the consequences of resorting to physical violence”, said Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley.

“Even where there is no murderous intent, there is no guarantee that a violent attack won’t result in death.

“Mr Mason’s family are devastated by this incident. Paul was an innocent victim of an unprovoked attack which resulted in a serious brain injury. They have had the unenviable experience of a trial and a retrial but have acted with dignity throughout. Our thoughts are very much with them today.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×