Dennis Allen (criminal)

Dennis Allen
Dennis Allen
	Dennis Allen
Born	Dennis Bruce Allen; 7 November 1951; Carlton, Victoria, Australia
Died	13 April 1987 (aged 35); Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Other names	Mr. Death, Mr. D
Occupation(s)	Drug dealer, criminal
Spouse	Sissy
Children	1
Parent	Kath Pettingill

Dennis Bruce Allen (7 November 1951 – 13 April 1987) was a notorious Australian drug dealer and alleged serial killer based in Melbourne. He was the oldest son of Kath Pettingill, a criminal matriarch. Allen's lawyer, Andrew Fraser, helped him avoid jail time by leveraging his knowledge of corrupt Victorian police officers at the time. However, Allen died of heart disease in 1987 while in prison custody, awaiting trial for murder.^[3]

Criminal career

Dennis Allen, known as Mr. Death or Mr. D,^[4] was suspected of involvement in up to 13^[a] underworld murders, including the gruesome chainsaw dismemberment of Hells Angels biker Anton Kenny in 1985.^[5] He also attempted to gatecrash a party, shooting guitarist Chris Stockley of The Dingoes in the stomach.^[6] Allen had previously received a ten-year prison sentence for rape in the 1970s. He was a major drug dealer in Melbourne's Richmond and South Yarra areas during the 1980s.^[4]^[5] Interestingly, New South Wales Police Detective-Sergeant Roger Rogerson was convicted of supplying heroin in a deal with Allen, but was later acquitted on appeal.^[7] Allen managed to evade capture and prosecution by possessing incriminating information against corrupt Victorian police officers.

Death

Allen died on 13 April 1987, at St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, due to heart failure caused by years of heavy drug abuse, which led to pieces of his heart breaking off.^[5] His funeral was held with Father Peter Norden, a Jesuit priest officiating. Notably, Father Norden also performed the funerals of three other Pettingill family members during the 1980s.^[8]

Notes

^ Note that Tedmanson reports that Allen is suspected of up to 13 murders, while Shand reports 15.

References

^ "Allen, Dennis - Mr Death". CITV. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
^ "Of love and murder". The Age. 2 November 2002. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
^ 3 May 2002 Brace for more gangland shootings, police warn The Age
^ ^a ^b Shand, Adam (24 February 2004). "Cast of characters; The main Melbourne crime factions and their most prominent members". The Bulletin. 122 (8).
^ ^a ^b ^c Tedmanson, Sophie (13 May 2006). "Granny Evil to hit big screen". The Australian. News Ltd. p. 8.
^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Dingoes'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
^ "NSW: Rogerson may have to reinvent himself again". Australian Associated Press General News. Australian Associated Press Pty Ltd. 18 February 2005.
^ Stewart, Cameron (8 April 2006). "Godfella". The Australian Magazine. News Ltd.