The father of the man who fell to his death on the King’s Road in mysterious circumstances has told The Citizen: “This is traumatic for me. I am devastated”.

Bill Cronin spoke of his shock and revealed that he “hasn’t the foggiest idea” what caused his son to fall from a second floor window to the pavement below.

The Citizen tracked down Mr Cronin as part of its investigation into the unexplained death on the King’s Road and into Karl Cronin’s extensive criminal past. 

The Citizen revealed last week that Karl Cronin had been the subject of an arrest warrant since an urgent Crimewatch appeal in 2008. He was wanted on suspicion of large-scale property fraud, much of it on landlords in the Chelsea and Kensington areas.

Karl Cronin – who had returned to Britain last November after serving a year in prison in America for money laundering – fell from a window in his rented flat opposite Bluebird restaurant at around 5am on 6th April – Easter Bank Holiday. 

Exactly two weeks later, the Met Police is STILL refusing to confirm the dead man’s identity. They are also refusing to reveal how he was allowed to return to the UK without being arrested when he landed at Heathrow airport.

Mr Cronin Senior revealed: “He is dead, that is absolutely for sure. My daughter phoned from the UK and told me.” It is believed that police had informed Karl’s sister, Claire.

Mr Cronin Senior spoke exclusively to The Citizen after we contacted him by phone. He has been living as an ex-pat in a hot country for the past 24 years. The Citizen is keeping his location confidential. 

When asked what happened to his son, Mr Cronin, a retired airline pilot, said: “I have no idea what went on. I am in the dark as much as you. I am going along and learning, getting information just the same as you. I can’t explain it to you, Rob.”

 

The Wanted Man Who Fell to Earth – how The Citizen revealed his identity  

 

Mr Cronin revealed that he is struggling to understand what has happened: “I can’t explain it. It is at this (sic) times you starting thinking about when they were children and pushing the pram and so on. It’s devastating.

“I am going to find out everything very shortly. I am talking to the police regularly – or at least my daughter is – and we are going to find out everything very shortly.”

When asked what he suspected may have happened, he replied: “Honestly, I have no idea. I have not got the foggiest idea.”

Mr Cronin revealed that he had been estranged from his son for 12 years and he claimed to have no knowledge of his son’s criminal past. When asked, he said: “All of the information I am getting is totally alien to the Karl that I haven’t spoken to since 2014. I have no idea what went on. I am waiting for the police report.

“I can’t think of anybody who didn’t like and love Karl. He was a very sociable man. He was very pleasant – great company, and a wonderful personality. Wherever he went, he had lots and lots of friends. They gravitated towards him. He was just one of those people who could pull in friends very easily…I wish I had a third of the charisma he had.”

When asked again about Karl’s criminal activities, Mr Cronin said: “I have no idea that he has done any crime…”  And when challenged on the subject of Crimewatch, he replied simply: “Well, I am not aware of that either.

“I have no idea. I have not spoken to him since 2014, but that was just one conversation. I haven’t spoken to Karl for so long, I can’t remember … I am just looking at photographs of him and I hardly recognise him because he has lost so much hair and so on.

“I have no idea of his background. I am quietly detached. I am retired and have been living in REDACTED for the past 24 years. I am out of the system, I’m out of the picture.”

Since the accident, further details have been revealed to The Citizen. Cronin had been living in flat No.19 in Argyll Mansions for around five weeks.

After passers-by – believed to be some golfers meeting for a day out – found Cronin “half naked” on the pavement, they called emergency services. He was given first aid by paramedics but died at the scene. His body remained in situ under a police forensics tent all day. Police at the scene said that they were waiting for a photographer.

Residents have since told The Citizen that a police helicopter was spotted hovering above the King’s Road and was pointing its searchlight over the scene as the body was carefully put into the back of a black private ambulance, with blacked out windows. It was finally taken away at around 9.30pm.

The Citizen has since been given access to Argyll Mansions where we found CCTV cameras covering the entrance and stairs, but we are told that these are not in working order. The door to No.19 has been double padlocked by police.

A full feature on The Life and Crimes of Karl Cronin is coming to The Chelsea Citizen soon