EXCLUSIVELIVE Electrician jailed for killing millionaire banker with single punch outside The Ivy will stay in prison for Christmas after last-minute U-turn by parole bosses

• Steven Allan admitted the manslaughter of banker Paul Mason in April 
• He had been due for early release before Christmas because of overcrowding 

An electrician jailed for killing a millionaire banking boss with a single punch outside The Ivy has been dramatically denied his freedom after parole bosses decided not to release him in a last-minute U-turn.

Steven Allan, who knocked Paul Mason, 52, to the floor in a sickening unprovoked attack and then fled on a rickshaw as his victim lay dying in the street, was due to be home for Christmas on licence.

But, after MailOnline revealed Allen’s impeding release, just nine months into a three-year jail term for manslaughter, probation bosses blocked his early release.

Allen, 35, who was sentenced in April, will now only be considered for release after Boxing Day and most likely into the New Year.

Steve Allan, 35, was jailed for three-years and nine months in April after admitting manslaughter had been due for early release before Christmas

Paul Mason hit his head on the pavement after being punched and despite doctors’ attempts to save his life by replacing part of his skull with a titanium sheet, he died six months later 

His relieved sister Rachel Mason told MailOnline: ‘We are pleased and relieved the thug who killed Paul will now remain in prison for Christmas.

‘A very small win but decency and sensible decision making decided yesterday that he should not be released earlier under the new government scheme to reduce prison overcrowding.

‘We will never again have Paul with us at Christmas, why should a killer serve just eight months in prison and be out for Christmas?’

Ms Mason called on the Government to overhaul the manslaughter sentencing guidelines so that another ‘miscarriage of justice like this cannot happen again’.

She added: ‘What hope do we have for a decent, kind, peaceful society in the UK if we don’t punish killers appropriately?’

Mr Mason, the CEO for Qatar National Bank, had been enjoying Christmas festivities three years when his night ended in tragedy.

His relieved sister Rachel Mason, pictured right, told MailOnline: ‘We are pleased and relieved the thug who killed Paul will now remain in prison for Christmas. A very small win but decency and sensible decision making decided yesterday that he should not be released earlier under the new government scheme to reduce prison overcrowding’

He was with two friends at The Ivy Club, an exclusive private members’ club in Soho, on the evening of December 15, 2020.

As he emerged from the club, he helped a female friend into a black taxi before walking towards the junction where he was attacked.

Allan had been drinking in a number of bars when he bumped into Mr Mason and accused him of stealing a friend’s mobile phone.

READ MORE: One punch killer granted early release to ease prison overcrowding 

He marched across the road and was captured on CCTV attempting to grab something from Mr Mason, who shrugged him off and stepped back

Allan followed him and punched with his right fist, knocking Mr Mason towards a building and onto the floor.

As he tried to get back on his feet Allan punched him a second time and then delivered an upper cut that caused him to fly back and land on his back with his head hitting the pavement.

Three off-duty nurses who had witnessed the attack tried to help Mr Mason, who had been knocked unconscious, and he was rushed to hospital where doctors carried out a procedure to replace part of his skull with a sheet of titanium.

Despite their best efforts he fell into a coma and died six months later on June 4, 2021.

Allan, from Hook in Hampshire, fled the scene, but later handed himself in to police.

He admitted manslaughter but a jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for 24 hours to find him not guilty of murder in February following a retrial.

Mr Mason was killed after spending an evening at the Ivy club in the West End, a well-known haunt for actors and executives 

Allan had been drinking in a number of bars when he bumped into Paul Mason (pictured) and accused him of stealing a friend’s mobile phone before the unprovoked attack

Mr Allan knocked Paul Mason to the ground during the sickening unprovoked attack and then fled on a rickshaw as the 52-year-old lay dying in the street

In her victim impact speech, Ms Mason revealed her oldest brother Simon, a recovering alcoholic, drank himself to death in September 2021.

He died just six days after his 56th birthday having binged on vodka to numb the pain of losing his brother.

Mr Mason’s family demanded a review of Allan’s sentence and set up an online petition, which more than 60,000 people signed.

But the Attorney General decided not to refer Allan’s sentence to the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

Labour’s Emily Thornberry, the shadow attorney general, expressed her ‘disappointment and disbelief’ at the decision and demanded Government action for bereaved families.

Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson, one of the Government’s law officers, acknowledged there were ‘strong feelings’ over the ‘unprovoked and violent attack’ on Mr Mason.

But he stressed the threshold for a sentencing review was not met in Allan’s case.

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