The family of a millionaire banker told of their fury today after a violent thug electrician who punched him to the floor and killed him was jailed for just three years.
Paul Mason, 52, CEO for Qatar National Bank, was punched three times by Steven Allan, 35, and fell to the ground and hit his head on the pavement during the sickening attack. Allan fled on a rickshaw as the financier lay dying on the floor.
As Allan was jailed for just 36 months, Mr Mason’s devastated sister Rachel said she felt ‘stunned and appalled’ by such an ‘unduly lenient sentence’.
Rachel said Allan should ‘feel the shame and guilt of his actions until his last breath’.
She also revealed how her other brother, Simon, had killed himself three months after Paul’s death because he was unable to deal with the trauma.
Steven Allan (pictured), 35, was jailed today for killing Qatar National Bank CEO Paul Mason, 52, in a random attack outside the Ivy in London’s West End in December 2022
As Mr Mason (pictured) tried to get up Allan hit him with an uppercut and witnesses heard the sickening crunch as his skull made contact with the pavement – which left him in a coma for four months and eventually killed him
Speaking outside the Old Bailey this afternoon she told MailOnline: ‘We are truly stunned and appalled by this unduly lenient sentence. We fully intend to appeal this.
‘With this outcome we have lost all faith in the justice system and are deeply concerned by the message this sends to society.
‘This was not a single punch case, on the contrary the punches continued after Paul was punched to the floor. Have we as society become de-sensitised to violence?
‘I hope his killer feels the shame and guilt of his actions every single day until he takes his last breath.’
Mr Mason had been with two friends at The Ivy Club, an exclusive private members’ club in Soho, on the evening of December 15, 2020.
As he emerged from the club, he helped a female friend into a black taxi before walking towards the junction where he was attacked.
Allan had been drinking in a number of bars when he bumped into Mr Mason and accused him of stealing a friend’s mobile phone.
He marched across the road and was captured on CCTV attempting to grab something from Mr Mason, who shrugged him off and stepped back.
Allan followed him and punched with his right fist, knocking Mr Mason towards a building and onto the floor.
As he tried to get back on his feet Allan punched him a second time and then delivered an upper cut that caused him to fly back and land on his back with his head hitting the pavement.
Three off-duty nurses who had witnessed the attack tried to help Mr Mason, who had been knocked unconscious, and he was rushed to hospital where doctors carried out a procedure to replace part of his skull with a sheet of titanium.
The court heard Allan has been diagnosed with a mixed anxiety and depressive disorder and had had panic attacks since 2017
The judge commended the behaviour of the three nurses who helped Mr Mason while they were on a night out in Cambridge Circus
Despite their best efforts he fell into a coma and died six months later on June 4, 2021.
Allan, from Hook in Hampshire, fled the scene, but later handed himself in to police.
He admitted manslaughter but a jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for 24 hours to find him not guilty of murder in February following a retrial.
In her victim impact speech, Ms Mason revealed her oldest brother Simon, a recovering alcoholic, drank himself to death in September 2021.
He died just six days after his 56th birthday having binged on vodka to numb the pain of losing his brother.
Ms Mason told the court: ‘Myself and my other brother, Simon, looked to Paul for guidance and inspiration and could always rely on Paul’s pragmatic approach to life and challenges.
‘He played a vital role in our small family and was the glue that held us.
‘My other brother, a vulnerable adult could not cope with the violent killing of his little brother Paul and he was consumed with trauma and grief and died from an overdose three months after Paul died.
‘Steven Allan has left me now with no siblings; the deep connection to my childhood has gone. I have no doubt Steven Allan’s actions contributed to the death of my only other sibling. He leaves a 13 year old without a father or uncle to love and support him in life.’
Ms Mason also told the court of her anger that Allan had been allowed out on bail ‘to enjoy his life’ whereas she now suffers from PTSD and has constant nightmares.
She said: ‘Steven Allan violently attacked and killed my brother and has left me heart broken and devastated, a feeling of melancholy will consume me for the rest of my life as I have to live without Paul. He has broken my family forever more.
‘The grief and loss I feel is visceral and I am often overwhelmed with the intensity of the feelings of sadness, shock, disbelief, and hatred towards him. How dare he take Paul’s life!
‘Every day I feel shock and disbelief when I think about what he has done to Paul, almost every night I have nightmares because of him. I just cannot comprehend someone doing this to another human being especially someone I loved so much. Watching CCTV in court of the violent attack on Paul and how he tried to escape you will haunt me forever.
Allan admitted manslaughter but denied murder and was cleared of the more serious charge by an Old Bailey jury following a retrial in January
Mr Mason’s sister Rachel Mason said: ‘His previously fit and healthy body wasted away in front of us over three days. All we could do was watch him die’
‘He has shown no genuine remorse at all and has shockingly been out on bail, to enjoy his life. Yes, he had a curfew but lockdown meant we all had restrictions so no hardship.
‘He had the luxury of time with his family whilst we, due to COVID restrictions could only see Paul on Facetime whilst he was critically ill in ICU, lying in a coma on life support for weeks and in hospital for over four months trying to recover.’
Describing her brother as a ‘remarkable kind, decent and gentle soul’ who ‘always brought joy and laughter, Ms Mason added:
‘We had a special bond that deepened as we aged. He had a wonderful ‘Carpe Diem’ attitude for life and lived fully every day of his too short life.
‘He always made time in his busy life for those who needed him, always thoughtful and selfless.
‘Watching my brother die in hospital six months later when his life support was removed was horrific and something no-one should go through especially when a senseless attack caused it, he was not ill or in an accident, he killed him.
‘My outlook on life and people has altered. I was joyful and embraced life with gusto and you have made me sad, anxious, and scared of people and nervous to walk the streets in case I am attacked by a stranger. I jump at the slightest sound when alone.
‘I am now alone to support my elderly parents and grandmother through old age and it is incredibly painful to see them so heartbroken and traumatised at this late stage of their life when they should be enjoying their grown up children and grandchildren.’
Mr Mason’s elderly parents also gave statements to the court
His father Ian Mason said: ‘My life and the lives of my family have been changed forever as a direct result of that brutal attack on Paul.
William Boyce, KC, defending, said the first punch was actually a push, and Allan had only punched Mr Mason once if at all
‘Paul was very much a family man at heart and although he did not yet have children of his own he kept in constant touch with his nieces and godchildren.
‘My son Simon was devastated his brother had been murdered and it led him to start drinking again which led to him passing away. He had been in a recovery centre and had come out and was living happily and seeing his son regularly.
‘I know nothing will bring my sons back to us but I hope a violent thug will be taken off the streets so he can’t ruin another family’s life as he has ruined ours.’
Mother Linda Mason added: ‘I have now lost two sons. I just hope he cannot harm anymore innocent people.’
Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, of the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘Paul Mason’s death tragically illustrates the consequences of resorting to physical violence. 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.’
