Robert Paul Allen: Man who fatally attacked friend of 38 years Matthew Laynton in Maddington ‘hovel’ sentenced

A man who was originally charged with murdering his frail friend of 38 years in his Maddington “hovel” has been jailed for six years. Robert Paul Allen fatally attacked Matthew Norman Laynton on November 2, 2023 at the victim’s Revesby Street home, about five years after moving in with him. Both were aged 51 and had been friends since they were around 13. But in the weeks leading up to the assault, Allen had become increasingly angry with Mr Laynton, believing he was stealing his personal property and drugs. “Your friendship was frayed,” Supreme Court of WA Justice Bruno Fiannaca said. “You had previously assaulted him when you believed he was stealing from you. “Your lives were dysfunctional, marred by drug use and disorganised living reflected in the cluttered state of the house. You have described it as a hovel and like a hoarder’s residence.” Allen inflicted fractures, a collapsed lung, haemorrhages to Mr Laynton’s brain and bruising, but told their next door neighbour that his friend had committed suicide. He asked them to call police and when officers arrived, he claimed Mr Laynton had been pulling furniture on himself, eating cat litter and attempting to strangle himself with a t-shirt. Mr Laynton was already frail and debilitated with comorbidities including emphysema and partly healed skeletal injuries. Allen later admitted that he could have hurt Mr Laynton by picking him up by his belt, shaking him and dragging him around the house - claiming he was trying to move him to a safer position. The judge found he in fact dropped the victim to the ground, causing or exacerbating existing injuries. “You committed this offence as the only aggressor in the situation,” Justice Fiannaca said. “If indeed, as you described, the deceased was behaving in an erratic manner and was in a frail condition at the time that you assaulted him, then your obligation was to assist him. “It was your home because he allowed you to live there, and he was entitled to believe that you would look after him, not be violent towards him.” Just before a scheduled trial, the State accepted Allen’s offer to plead guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful assault causing death. Allen — who had been awake for three days prior to the offence — will be eligible for parole after serving four years.