Exclusive:Allan Grimson: Murderer 'punched the air with triumph' after bludgeoning man to death

Former Royal Navy petty officer Allan Grimson was branded a “serial killer in nature, if not by number” when he was jailed for life more than 25 years ago, having told police that killing “was better than sex, better than an orgasm”.

The non-commissioned officer had pleaded guilty to killing naval rating Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicester, between December 11 1997 and December 17 1999 and barman Sion Jenkins, 20, from Newbury, Berkshire, between November 1 1998 and December 18 1999.

At Winchester Crown Court this afternoon (Monday, July 27), Grimson was found guilty of 13 counts of rape and indecent assault. The offences date back to 1994, when he abused several males - one of whom was just 14 years old a the time.

Sentencing him for murder at the same court in March 2001, Judge Peter Cresswell said: “You are a serial killer in nature, if not by number. You are a highly dangerous serial killer who killed two young men in horrifying and appalling circumstances.”

The bodies of the two victims were discovered four miles apart at the side of country lanes north of Winchester, Hampshire, in December 1999. Mr Wright was found in a field next to the A272 at Cheriton and Mr Jenkins near to the A32 at West Tisted.

The court heard how Grimson told police he “punched the air with triumph and gave out a roar” after bludgeoning Mr Wright to death with a baseball bat.

He told officers: “It was such a feeling. I have never had that feeling. It was a feeling of power, a good feeling. I felt good about it. It was better than sex that feeling better than an orgasm.

“It was a feeling I was extremely happy with. That feeling - doing it I have never felt before.”

Anthony Donne QC, prosecuting, told the court that Grimson, from North Shields, had met the young recruit Mr Wright on a fire-training course in Portsmouth in November 1997 – the same way that he met three of the complainants in the recent trial.

He said that Grimson had explained that the killing had not been sexual, but one of control and power – and he told officers that he had thought of cutting off the teenager’s testicles out of curiosity, but had not done it.

The prosecutor said that Grimson had described the killing as being followed by a second sensation of achievement, and he told police he felt he needed an audience and he wanted to show them he had done it.

Officers had asked Grimson if he had killed again and to their horror he said yes. Speaking about Mr Jenkins’ murder, he said: “I had no feeling. It was none of this feeling I had with Nicholas Wright. I didn’t know why. Probably because Nicholas Wright put up a bit of a fight. Jenkins was submissive. There was just nothing there.”

Grimson also admitted he had wanted to kill again, and told officers: “If I was not here [in custody], it would probably happen again.”