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 at Bluebird a few weeks before his death ©RobMcGibbon/TheChelseaCitizen

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.

The door to Karl Cronin’s rented flat No.19 is now padlocked at the top and bottom             Photo ©TCC

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

Karl Cronin’s mugshot as it appeared on Crimewatch’s “Most Wanted” in 2008

The Metropolitan Police say chicken believed to be laced with toxins has been found in both Brompton Cemetery and Holland Park over several days, sparking alarm among dog owners.

One dog is reported to have eaten the meat and became “very unwell”, while two foxes were found dead in the cemetery with no obvious signs of injury.

The grim discovery has triggered outrage among regular park users. One woman who walks her dog in Brompton Cemetery said: “I’m totally disgusted. I can’t even imagine why anyone would do that.”

Another added: “It’s absolutely horrendous. I’m not sure if someone’s doing it for a spiteful reason.
It will stop people coming to the park with their dogs.”

Police are urging owners to stay alert and stop pets scavenging while in the area. In Brompton Cemetery, officers have reminded the public that dogs must be kept on leads at all times — a rule now taking on new urgency.

Detectives believe the meat may have been deliberately planted to harm animals, with foxes — or even dogs — potentially the target. One walker told The Citizen that she had heard reports that cemetery gardeners had found “dog toys and food covered in white powder” on one side of the grounds.

The stakes are high in two green spaces used daily by hundreds of residents. Similar poisoning scares have surfaced across the UK in recent years, with dogs falling ill — and in some cases dying — after eating contaminated food left in parks and woodland.

Now, with reports of laced meat and dead wildlife in two of west London’s most popular spots, fears are rising again. Dog owners are being told to keep pets close, watch the ground — and treat anything lying in the grass as a potential threat.

In Chelsea and Kensington’s most treasured green spaces, the simple daily walk has suddenly turned into a moment of vigilance.

First, councillors refused gambling operator Silvertime’s application to open a 40-machine slot and bingo venue, plus two flats on upper floors, opposite Earl’s Court Underground station. The decision followed this week’s protest on Earl’s Court Road attended by residents and campaigners, including Bianca Jagger and MP Joe Powell.

Objectors argued the proposal — to convert the disused Lloyd’s bank — would draw vulnerable people into an area already under pressure, citing nearby schools, rehab’ facilities and existing crime concerns.

The Planning Applications committee meeting at the Town Hall ©RM/TCC

Councillors were blunt in their assessment. Cllr Hamish Adourian (Con/Earls Court) described the scheme as an “appalling application” and said the local view was “absolutely clear – the answer is NO”.

Cllr Linda Wade (LibDem/Earls Court) said it would “fail to support high street vitality and undermine the development of new businesses,” warning it risked creating a concentration of gambling premises within a short stretch of the Earl’s Court Village Conservation Area.

Cllr Gerard Hargreaves (Con/Riverside) added: “This is not just about planning, anti-social behaviour, the size of the shop front, gambling, it’s about all those things together meaning this development is not fit for this area. It has the whole package of issues.”

Residents reinforced those concerns. Francesco Zibellini, chair of the Earl’s Court Society, accused the company of targeting “young and vulnerable individuals” by relocating to a larger site.

For Silvertime, Andrew Woods, argued the new venue would create jobs and that customers would “get the benefit” of an improved facility — notably the restoration of the exterior of the Lloyd’s building. His remarks prompted ripples of laughter from the public gallery.

Earl’s Court residents cheered when Silvertime’s application was dismissed ©RM/TCC

When planning chair Cllr James Husband confirmed the refusal in line with officers’ recommendations, the gallery – a crowd of around 40 – at the rear of the council chamber broke into loud and sustained applause and cheers.

Asked afterwards whether Silvertime would appeal, Mr Woods declined to comment, but assured The Citizen that he would inform us if the company decided to appeal the decision.

Earlier in the week, Council leader Elizabeth Campbell (Con/Royal Hospital) had pledged to protestors that RBKC would be prepared to defend any legal appeal “100%” – despite wider financial pressures currently facing the Council.

The committee then turned to a very different — but long-running — case in Ifield Road, SW10.

Residents there have spent years complaining about the condition of a property owned by former Conservative councillor Nicholas Halbritter. Among the issues cited were extensive Japanese knotweed growth exceeding 12 feet, vermin, persistent water leaks, and foxes occupying parts of the building.

Ifield Road residents Nik Hoexter and Christine Hastings after the committee’s ruling ©RM/TCC

Frustration was directed not only at the owner but at the council’s handling of the case. Neighbour Nik Hoexter – flanked by another despairing resident, Christine Hastings – told councillors: “The man’s a menace.”

He added: “We have spent so long trying to get action. During tortuous complaints we have even had to go to the Information Commissioner to get the damning evidence used in court.”

Planning chair Cllr Husband acknowledged what he termed “masterful inactivity” on behalf of the Council and indicated that further enforcement action was now warranted.

Council officer Julia Drzewicka confirmed a new Section 215 notice could be served. If ignored, the council would have the power to step in and carry out the works itself. Mr Hoexter, however, criticised the officer’s report as “disgraceful and directly dishonest”.

The committee voted unanimously to issue a new Section 215 Notice, which means Mr Halbritter will be duty bound to complete works to restore his house to reasonable order. However, a similar notice was issued in 2016 – followed by court action – but he ignored all enforcement efforts.

Following the hearing, Mr Hoexter accepted that the residents were back where they were in 2016 and added: “We’re not optimistic that anything will be different this time. Unless the Council is prepared to use real powers rather than notional ones, he won’t give a damn.”

Local MP Ben Coleman, who attended the hearing to support the Ifield Road residents, also urged decisive action: “The only thing that I think will be satisfactory is if the Council then goes further if he (Halbritter) refuses to take action – and goes in there and clears it up. I am going to stick with the residents through this. Thick and thin.”

Both decisions mark significant moments for residents — but, as several residents made clear, the real test will be what happens next. What happens if Silvertime appeals? And what next for Ifield Road if Mr Halbritter fails to comply with the 215 Notice – again?

The Citizen will be covering these two stories, every step of the way.

The issue will be discussed at a meeting of the Planning Committee at the Town Hall in Kensington on Thursday evening (16th April). Mr Hoexter and MP Ben Coleman, who is supporting residents, hope to address the committee to demand decisive action.

In this article, Mr Hoexter lays bare the miserable story of “The Neighbour From Hell” who is inexplicably never held to account.

Your readers will have followed the tortuous path to salvation for residents where a derelict house is such a blight that 48 of them signed a petition to get the Council to take action.

Thanks largely to the fine efforts of The Chelsea Citizen, it was fully covered by several national newspapers last November and the petition was presented to a council meeting in the same month.

Things are coming to a crunch when a meeting of the Planning Committee will consider taking action. The issue is relatively simple: the owner was served with a ‘Section 215 Notice’ in 2016, ordering him to carry out works to his garden and rotting house. The Council must now finally enforce this notice.

The terraced house in question is a wreck and a disgrace. Its disused basement has become a wild-life reserve for foxes and rats and the garden is infested with giant knotweed growing to over 12 feet. The last human occupant to rent the basement flat died there. His decomposing remains were only discovered after the stench of decay filled the immediate area.

When the owner of the house ignored the Section 215 and all subsequent enforcement letters, he was taken to court by RBKC and convicted in 2017. Residents expected things to happen, but nothing did. He continued to ignore all communications with complete disdain for his neighbours. 

Residents have battled this man – The Neighbour From Hell, as he might be called – for nine years now, gaining the support of local MP Ben Coleman and help from Marie-Therese Rossi, the local councillor. There have been regular visits from council officers, but they simply took photos, shook heads, sucked in cheeks, then walked away. No effort has been made to gain access to the property – even though the Council has a right to do so.

Residents were then put through the hoops of the Council’s complaints  procedures: not surprisingly, it was referred back to the department about which they were complaining, which – in turn – tried every obstruction and delay.

Read The Citizen’s previous report about this situation HERE

We then had to appeal  to the Information Commissioner to obtain evidence the Council had used in an open court to secure the original conviction – which they had tried to withhold on the grounds of data protection.

Finally, at the end of this exhausting and fruitless process, Mr Stanford Francis – Executive Director for Environment & Neighbourhoods – announced in an email (rather grandly) that he had made his “last communication on the matter”. We have been left high and dry ever since wondering what it will take to resolve this unacceptable situation.

Section 215 gives the council the powers but not the duty to act in situations such as this, ie: action is discretionary. By serving the notice and obtaining a conviction they had already demonstrated that they had exercised their discretionary powers. Despite this, RBKC’s Press Office continued to field questions from journalists covering the story last November by claiming “the Council is powerless to act”.

Planning officers have produced a report for the up-coming Planning Committee meeting that reveals only a tenuous grasp of veracity and consistency. They are recommending that no Section 215 Notice should be issued  – whilst the petition actually requests that the existing Section 215 Notice should be enforced. 

The house in SW10 occupied by “The Neighbour from Hell”

There is confusion and numerous contradictions in the endless correspondence that has evolved from this deplorable situation between residents and the Council. I won’t bore you all with the blow-by-blow, but the knotweed issue is a good example of the tangle the Council finds itself in.

The Senior Solicitor made it clear to the owner that he was not to dispose of it himself. He was ordered to contract a specialist eradication company which would then validate the work. Regardless, Mr Halbritter did it himself and thereby increased the infestation.

In their current recommendation, the planning department then claimed that the knotweed had been cleared at that point. In their report they also claim that “the presence of knotweed remains unconfirmed”. Yet their own officer – Ms Goddard – wrote to me in 2024 to say their arborologist confirmed that the growth was indeed knotweed and that she had ‘advised’ the owner to get it professionally eradicated. 

As regards the other works, they picked up on Page One of an email to me by their officer Martin Perrigo that the owner had done some of the requirements, but omitted to read on Page Two in which he also said that if the owner failed to do the remaining works it could be subject to a further prosecution. Does the left hand know what the right one is doing?

The Mail on Sunday followed The Citizen’s story last year

It is curious to note – although it may, of course, be entirely irrelevant – that Mr Halbritter is a former Conservative councillor who was actually a member of the Council’s Planning Committee. In 2022 he was given a Mayor’s Award for distributing poppies for the British Legion.

Elections are coming. The Planning Committee meeting is a chance for councillors to demonstrate that there is no “them and us”.

SUGGESTED SOLUTION: The time has gone for 215. The council must now issue a 219 Notice. This will give them the legal right to go into the property and complete all necessary works – then charge the home owner. This is the only way this matter can now be sorted out. Nik Hoexter.

Scenes form the horror house on Ifield Road

The cash-strapped authority is wielding the axe as it grapples with a staggering £108 MILLION budget black hole, insisting the cuts are needed to keep essential services afloat.

But unions say the move will hit hundreds of already stretched staff hard. Around 800 employees currently receive a travel allowance covering TfL Zones 1–2 — a benefit that’s now heading for the scrapheap. 

UNISON London regional organiser Nathan Burns blasted the decision, telling The Citizen: “The travel allowance scheme has been in place for over 30 years. It’s unacceptable for the council to strip it away without any consultation.”

He added: “The majority of staff have no choice but to live outside the borough due to high housing costs. The council must re-think this decision before it makes it even harder to recruit and retain the workforce it depends on.”

At least 65 angry workers descended on the Town Hall at lunchtime, waving flags, brandishing banners and making themselves heard to Council chiefs with whistles and chants.

One female demonstrator, who asked not to be named, said: “What the Council is doing is horrendous. I’m so upset to be losing almost £2,OOO a year. I’ll have to make cuts to my heating, food – everything”

Echoing the thoughts of many, a male colleague fumed: “We worked hard and loyally during Covid,” he said. “And this is how they treat us. It’s disgusting.”

Protesters handed in a 500-signature petition — and union chiefs are now warning strike action could be next if Town Hall bosses refuse to back down.

But for now the council is standing firm. A spokesperson told The Citizen: “Kensington and Chelsea is facing severe financial pressures, with £108 million of savings required over the next four years because of government funding cuts. As a result, we are reviewing all discretionary spending to protect essential services for residents and reduce the risk of more severe measures in the future.”

He added: “The decision to withdraw the discretionary Zone 1-2 travel allowance, which costs around £1 million each year, was not taken lightly. We recognise the impact it will have on some colleagues, but it is not a common benefit at any other London local authority and staff will continue to be fully reimbursed for all work-related travel.”

Battle lines are now drawn — and the threat of strikes is looming.

Firebrand Jagger joined a noisy street protest outside gambling firm Silvertime Amusements’ proposed new venue — a shuttered Lloyds Bank site in Hogarth Road just yards across from the station.

The propose site will be ten times to space of SilverTime’s existing shop a few yards away

And the stakes could not be higher.

A crunch RBKC planning meeting this Thursday is expected to reject the scheme — but insiders say Silvertime are already poised to appeal, triggering a legal showdown that could cost both the firm and the Council a fortune.

Ms Jagger didn’t hold back. “They will hire some of the most efficient and powerful lawyers to fight for an appeal and we should continue to ask the Council to deny approval,” she told The Citizen.

And it seems she has a powerful backer. Council leader Elizabeth Campbell joined the protesters and vowed that RBKC would dig deep to fight any appeal.

When challenged by The Citizen if she would pledge to back campaigners all the way, no matter the legal costs, she declared: “Yes we’re ready to pay the money – 100 per cent.” Protesters surrounding her cheered audibly when they heard Ms Campbell’s unequivocal statement.

The protest kicked off at 6pm under heavy skies and a chill breeze, with more than 80 residents packing into Hogarth Road in a show of force.

Commuters spilling out of Earl’s Court station were met by a wall of banners screaming: “Don’t let gambling take over our high street” and “Stop Silvertime expansion” — while passing drivers blasted their horns in support.

At the heart of the fury? Fears the new venue — reportedly a £11 million investment bet already laid by Silvertime — will supercharge antisocial behaviour in the area and turn it into a “gambling hub”.

Silvertime operates just doors away and plans to shut that site before opening the new one, which represents many times the exterior shopfront space and a branding beacon for the company. Silvertime, which is a £20m-a-year business, already has many Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) across the country.

Ms Jagger and Citizen editor Rob McGibbon with the purposed site in the background

But critics say this is no simple swap. Jagger warned the venue would “exploit” children, fuel crime and blight streets already home to vulnerable residents and rehab’ centres.

“Children will be tempted to come here and that’s my main concern,” she said. “They are trying to lure them and other vulnerable people.”

‘SilverTime’ – the existing shop ids a short disgrace from the old Lloyds bank 

Locals echoed her anger. Earl’s Court Society vice-chair Sandra Yarwood blasted the plans: “We don’t want it — a gambling arcade here with its massive frontage right opposite the station, open 24 hours a day.”

Resident Sherry Kernan fumed: “I’ve lived here for 25 years and we already have two racing parlours (betting shops), two gaming parlours (AGCs) — and now they want a huge den of iniquity. We’re not having it.”

Neighbour David Christopherson added: “This is a residential area… a round-the-clock licence is totally unacceptable.”

Labour MP Joe Powell warned the fight may not end soon. “They will come back again, and again and again until they get their way,” he told the crowd — revealing plans to push Parliament to toughen gambling laws through new “cumulative impact” rules.

“So what we’re going to do next week is amend the Devolution bill, which we will be voting on in Parliament next week to include something called gambling, cumulative impact assessments.

“Now, I know that sounds very tedious, but it is a tool that we can then use to make sure that we have a stronger chance of rejecting these applications in the first place.”

In the thick of it – reporter John Cookson listens to Ms Jagger

Ward councillor Linda Wade delivered a blunt verdict: the casino “simply must be stopped.”

Silvertime, who have been asked for comment on last night’s protest, have insisted critics have it wrong. The firm says it’s merely relocating — not expanding — its long-standing Earl’s Court operation, which has run for years without reported trouble.

The new site, they argue, will still be “below average” in size, tightly regulated, and limited to ground-floor gambling only — with upper floors turned into housing.

Their bottom line? This is a “straightforward” move — not the birth of a new gambling hotspot. 

But on the streets of Earl’s Court, residents aren’t buying it. And with a planning showdown on the horizon — and a costly appeal looming — this battle is only just getting started. All bets are off on who will win.

Since The Citizen aired the serious unease felt amongst residents in a story last month, the housing association charity has pledged to fast-track a solution — but has admitted that the problems are so extensive that it will take at least a year to solve.

Families have already endured four long years of relentless noisy works and have been trapped behind scaffolding and netting that has cast their homes into daytime darkness.

Peabody has finally conceded the works have taken “much longer than expected” and have promised a full-scale push, with contractors to be deployed inside and outside the building, as well as across multiple floors, at the same time to finish the job more quickly. But even that means the works will not be finished until “sometime in 2027”.

In a statement to The Citizen, Peabody said: “We’re very sorry that this has taken much longer than expected and for the impact this has had on residents. We know how difficult it is to live with this level of disruption, and we don’t underestimate how challenging it has been.

“This work is essential to make sure residents’ homes are safe and meet the latest standards. When we removed the cladding, we uncovered additional issues within the building. This has happened across the sector, as some problems only become visible once work begins. Where this happens, we make sure everything is fully put right so homes are safe.

“We’re continuing to stay in close contact with residents and will share clearer timescales as soon as we can. We’re focused on finishing this as quickly as possible, while making sure it is done properly and to the highest safety standards, and continuing to support residents throughout.”

The state of Kingsgate House on the King’s Road as photographed last Friday ©TCC

Sadly for residents, this statement echoes a familiar refrain. “Too little, too late,” is the verdict from inside the block.

Originally launched in 2020 to strip out dangerous cladding in the wake of Grenfell Tower fire, the repair project has spiralled into a catalogue of defects.

Kingsgate House is a mix of shared ownership and social rent flats that was built in 2014 as part of a Section 106 “trade off” for the construction of a luxury block of flats overlooking Kensington Park Gardens. It was supposed to be a modern success story, but once the cladding came off, a Pandora’s box of problems emerged.

Peabody admits the works uncovered serious hidden defects, including rainwater damage to the timber frame — forcing a complete rebuild of the top two floors and even the re-housing of residents to other rental accommodation. Other issues at Kingsgate House include: faulty, untreated wooden balconies, leaks through windows and bathrooms, persistent heating and hot water failures, and – arguably, worst of all – a lift outage of seven months, leaving wheelchair users trapped in their homes. 

Residents point the finger squarely at poor original construction — and question how the building ever passed inspection. “I used to be proud to live here,” said one. “Now it’s in a sorry state — and it’s not clear if it will ever be put right.”

There’s one bright note amid the gloom: Peabody says insurance premiums won’t rise further because of the works — and has pledged refunds for excess communal electricity charges. Peabody also insists fire safety checks have been completed and that homes are safe. That will come as cold comfort to residents battered by disruption — and soaring bills.

To add to their misery service charges have nearly doubled in four years, rocketing from £222 to £418 per month, driven largely by unexplained hikes in insurance and electricity costs. Then there’s the mystery of the building’s distinctive solar power panels that were once lauded as a great innovation and an environmentally friendly design. Residents claim that they have never seen a penny’s worth of energy from these “photovoltaic panels”. 

Peabody has admitted to The Citizen that the panels do not currently work and promises they will be fixed when the project ends. Notably, Peabody would not confirm the net energy value deemed from the panels since they were installed – or indeed if they have ever worked.

In the meantime, life goes on in limbo. “It’s like living on a building site,” said one resident. “The noise, the mess, the disturbance, the lack of security… the uncertainty.” Another added: “We can’t open windows properly or use our balconies. We live in darkness.”

Patience is running out. “They pretend to care,” said one furious tenant. “We are exhausted. It’s a never-ending nightmare.”

Angry families are now forming a residents’ association to demand answers— including clear schedules, proper communication, quarterly meetings and fully itemised service charges.

The Chelsea Citizen today pledges to stay on this story — until the last scaffolding pole comes down and the energy flows from those fancy solar panels.

The Citizen has unearthed the clip of the crime TV show that featured the notorious property fraudster.

At the time, Cronin was wanted by police on suspicion of fleecing unsuspecting estate agents, landlords and private home owners out of millions of pounds. Many of his targets were from the Chelsea, Kensington and Fulham areas.

Following a week-long investigation, The Citizen named Cronin yesterday as the man who fell to his death from a second floor window opposite Bluebird at around 5am on Easter Monday. Earlier today, The Citizen out that Cronin had only been renting the flat there for five weeks.

Also today, the Met. Police has again refused to confirm if Cronin is the man who died. Its press office has chosen to not reply to a request lodged early this morning with a series of key questions concerning the incident.

This is a developing story. More follows soon…

“I’ve got some right turkeys here – so let’s see if we can ruin their Christmas. First up is Karl Cronin…”

The “mugshot” of Cronin that appeared in Crimewatch

News coverage following the Crimewatch alert for Cronin

Following a week-long special investigation, The Citizen has been told by multiple sources that the man who died on Easter Monday morning was arch conman Karl Cronin.

An appeal to find Cronin was aired on Crimewatch in December 2008 after an arrest warrant had been issued against him by Met Police for “large-scale property fraud”. He had managed to evade British police ever since. 

Despite putting the name to Met. Police earlier this week, its press office refused to confirm the identity of the man to The Citizen. 

Cronin – thought to have been 63-years-old – fell from a window of a second floor flat to the pavement of the King’s Road at around 5am on Easter Monday. The flat is directly opposite Bluebird restaurant. At the time, investigating officers asked to see CCTV footage from Bluebird’s cameras.

Cronin’s father has been informed of his son’s death, but the body has not been released pending toxicology reports, so a funeral is yet to be planned.

 Exclusive Photos

Karl Cronin with a friend on 18th March. He is on the King’s Road, standing a few metres away from where he would fall to his death on 6th April ©RobMcGibbon/TheChelseaCitizen

Karl Cronin on the forecourt of Bluebird restaurant last December before having lunch with friends. ©RobMcGibbon/TheChelseaCitizen

Cronin had been on the run following allegations of his part in a £5m property fraud – mainly targeted against landlords and property owners in Chelsea and Fulham during the early 2000s. Sources have claimed to The Citizen that the fraud is thought to have been closer to £10m.

Cronin was named and implicated in a high profile trial that led to the imprisonment in 2017 of a model and her mother in a £1.2m property loan swindle in Kensington during 2014. Laylah de Cruz and her 61-year-old mother Dianne Moorcroft  conned a 91-year-old heiress – who has since died – to raise cash against her home. It was claimed in court that de Cruz had been “dazzled” by Cronin in Dubai and that it was he who had masterminded the fraud. De Cruz and her mother were jailed for five and three years at Southwark Crown Court, but Cronin was on the run and evaded prosecution.

Cronin had been in prison in New York for a year after being convicted of money laundering. He had been extradited from Hungary by FBI agents. He was released in November 2025 and had returned to the UK, under supervision of US authorities. Remarkably, he was not arrested by UK police upon arrival at Heathrow airport.

Confusion surrounds the circumstances that allowed Cronin to return to the UK and live freely. The Citizen is aware of certain theories and has detailed reports of the explanation Cronin gave to his friends, but we are withholding these allegations at this stage for legal reasons. He had been living in Chelsea since around December.

Cronin’s friends have expressed shock at his death, but few are showing signs of sympathy. “He did a lot of bad things in his life and destroyed many, many lives,” said one person who knew him well. “He lived through lies and deceit and he had a ruthless streak. 

“All he cared about was money, dating young women, and having a good time. It did not matter who got hurt along the way. There have been a lot of people laughing that his life has ended this way. There’s the feeling that he got what he deserved.”

Another friend was more sanguine: “He was a loveable rogue, almost like an Arthur Daley figure. He was always good company, the life and soul of a party and someone who was living life to the full. But he caused a lot of damage, there is no doubt about that.”

Mystery and many unanswered questions now surround his death. Did he fall in an accident after partying too hard on drugs, did he jump, or was there foul play?

The Citizen was the only media outlet to visit the scene on Easter Monday. Police on guard there refused to give details, but one officer said that the incident was being treated as “an accident” and that the man had fallen from a second floor window.

A narrow sash window that was partially open could be seen from the street, but there is no confirmation that this was the window where Cronin fell from.

“There is no way that Karl killed himself…”

The forensics tent that was erected to conceal Cronin’s body after the fall was in place all day on Easter Monday. Police said this was because they were awaiting a crime scene photographer.

The only statement released so far by Met. Police came on 7th April. It stated: ‘At around 05:00hrs on Monday, 6 April, police attended King’s Road, Chelsea where a man was located with serious injuries after a fall from height. Officers called the London Ambulance Service and performed emergency first aid. Sadly, the man in his 50s was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. His next of kin have been informed. His death is being treated as unexpected and an investigation is ongoing.’

Multiple theories surrounding the circumstances of Cronin’s death are emerging, fuelled by rumours and suspicion. Some focus on his past crimes and others refer to his lifestyle, health and state of mind. 

One person who knew him well said: “There is no way Karl killed himself.  None of the people who knew him believe that is what happened. One thing is for sure – he had a lot of enemies.”

At this stage, The Citizen is not revealing full details of the wider speculation. What is clear, however, is that Cronin was a heavy cocaine user. During the weekend that he died, we have been told that he had been out with a male friend who was also a heavy drug user.

One pal added: “Karl has changed in recent times and that was all down to the amount of coke he was doing. He had become paranoid and was in a bad way with his health.”

Cronin was an Englishman who grew up in the Weybridge area of Surrey. He became a well-known and flamboyant figure on the party scene of Chelsea and surrounding neighbourhoods throughout the 1990s and 2000s. It was during this period that he turned to property fraud to fund his high living.

During the Crimewatch episode in 2008, Kirsty Young linked to the popular section known as ‘UK’s Most Wanted’. Co-presenter Rav Wilding then introduced the segment beginning with focusing on Suspect “No.1” – Cronin. He said:  

The photo used on Crimewatch in 2008

“I’ve got some right turkeys here. Let’s see if we can ruin their Christmas. First up is Karl Cronin. He is wanted for large-scale property fraud in London and Surrey. He has got as many as 11 aliases including James Moore, Jonathan Carson and Andrew Tapper.  No.2 is….”

Crimewatch presenter Rav Wilding points to Cronin’s mugshot in 2008

Widespread online news followed the Crimewatch report, but the police hunt for Cronin went cold. Through interviews with members of Cronin’s social circle and numerous social media posts, The Citizen has pieced together a detailed portrait of Cronin’s life on the run. 

He lived the high life in many of the world’s hot spots – including Dubai and Bali – and was open about his criminal past to many people he met along the way. He is always seen in social posts in super luxury cars – such as Rolls Royces, Ferraris, and Aston Martins – and is always with an array of attractive young women.

But how did he manage to live so openly and extravagantly for so long without ever being extradited to Britain?

The Citizen is preparing a full-length feature article about his life on the run. Coming soon…

Karl Cronin: The Life and Crimes of the Man who Fell to Earth.

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Police forensics tent – with an open window visible on the second floor

A window is seen open above the forensic tent. But is it THE window?