Dennis Bruce Allen (7 November 1951 – 13 April 1987) was an Australian

drug dealer A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalati ...

who was reported to have murdered many victims. He was based in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, and was the oldest son of criminal

matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general En ...

Kath Pettingill. Allen, whose solicitor was Andrew Fraser, avoided jail by having info on the corrupt

Victorian police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian state of Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victoria Police had over 22,300 staff, comprising over 16,700 po ...

at the time. He died of heart disease in 1987 in prison custody awaiting trial for murder.3 May 200
Brace for more gangland shootings, police warn

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...

Criminal career

Allen, nicknamed Mr. Death or Mr. D, was believed to have been involved in up to 13 underworld murders, including the dismembering of

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporati ...

biker Anton Kenny with a chainsaw in 1985. One victim who survived was guitarist Chris Stockley of

The Dingoes The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band. They were initially active from 1973 to 1979, and reformed in 2009. Initially based in Melbourne, the band relocated to the United States from 1976. The most stable line-up comprised John Bois on ...

, whom Allen shot in the stomach while attempting to gatecrash a party. Allen received a ten-year prison sentence for rape during the 1970s. It is also reported that he was a major drug dealer in the Richmond and

South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Sto ...

areas of Melbourne during the 1980s. New South Wales Police Detective-Sergeant

Roger Rogerson Roger Caleb Rogerson (born 3 January 1941) is a former detective sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force, and a convicted murderer. During Rogerson's career, he was one of the most decorated officers in the police force, having received at l ...

was convicted of supplying heroin in a deal with Allen, but was acquitted following appeal. Allen avoided capture and prosecution for his crimes by having vital information against several corrupt members of the Victorian police.

Death

Allen died on 13 April 1987 of heart failure at St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne; "pieces of his heart actually broke off after decades of heavy drug abuse". His funeral was conducted by Father Peter Norden, a Jesuit priest who performed funerals for three members of the

Pettingill family The Pettingill family is a Melbourne-based criminal family,Fears of gangland war in ...

during the 1980s.

Notes

References

Australian people convicted of rape Australian drug traffickers Australian rapists Pettingill family Australian people who died in prison custody 1951 births 1987 deaths Prisoners who died in Victoria (Australia) detention Drug-related deaths in Australia Criminals from Melbourne Drug dealers People charged with murder {{australia-crime-bio-stub it:Dennis Allen