Notorious fraudster wanted over multi-million pound property scam fell to his death from window on the King's Road in Chelsea

By ROB MCGIBBON and RYAN HOOPER, CRIME CORRESPONDENT and KITTY LAWTON Published: 01:04, 27 April 2026 | Updated: 01:18, 27 April 2026 A notorious fraudster wanted by the Met has died after falling from a window in the capital. Swindler Karl Cronin was found fatally injured on the pavement along the King's Road in Chelsea, west London, in the early hours of Easter Monday. It is believed he fell out of a second-storey window, although police do not suspect third-party involvement. The Mail has been told the victim was Cronin, who was wanted by police over his role in a large-scale multi-million-pound property scam. He was even the subject of a police appeal on BBC series Crimewatch in 2008, as detectives sought to question the elusive criminal. It is not known how the fraudster was able to return to London under the noses of the Met.  One friend said: 'He did a lot of bad things in his life and destroyed many, many lives. 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. Karl Cronin, thought responsible for defrauding Fulham and Chelsea landlords of more than £5million Cronin previously featured in BBC Crimewatch appeal Cronin is believed he fell out of a second-storey window on the King's Road (pictured), although police do not suspect third-party involvement '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 told The Chelsea Citizen, which first broke the story: '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.' Sources said Cronin had been living in the rented apartment since November last year, having flown into London Heathrow. He became wanted for defrauding landlords and property owners in the Chelsea and Fulham areas in the early 2000s. It is believed he made in excess of £5 million out of the scam. He was also implicated in a high-profile 2017 fraud trial which led to a model and her mother being jailed. Laylah de Cruz and her mother Dianne Moorcroft conned a 91 year-old heiress – who has since died – to raise cash against her home. Laylah De Cruz was convicted of a property fraud in which Cronin was implicated  De Cruz urged Moorcroft to change her name by deed poll to convince estate agents and solicitors she was the owner of a vacant £3m house in Kensington. Moorcroft obtained a British passport and a Dubai resident's permit in the name of the true owner, elderly Margaret Gwenllian Richards, and arranged for the property sale. The crooked mother-of-two helped secure a £1.2m bridging loan against the three-bedroom property before a buyer was found, and the money was transferred to Dubai. It was later withdrawn in cash. De Cruz, a Dubai-based stable owner and model, encouraged her mother to take part in the scam after being 'dazzled' by fraudster Cronin's money, fast cars, and jewellery. He did not stand trial because he was on the run, although prosecutor Teresa Hay said that neither woman 'were the architects or principle beneficiaries' of the fraud, adding 'there would be some significant interest in [Cronin] if he came back to the UK'. She was jailed for five years while her mother was imprisoned for five years after they were both convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation at Southwark Crown Court. Investigations are continuing into how Cronin met his death. One person who knew Cronin 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.' A neighbour told the Mail: 'I've heard so many other things - we are all interested to know.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.