By Charlotte Webster-
A man with a previous conviction for murder, Shaine March, has admitted to the gruesome murder of Alana Odysseos, his pregnant girlfriend.
March, aged 47, confessed to stabbing Ms. Odysseos a total of 19 times at her home in Walthamstow, northeast London, on July 22 of last year. This shocking plea change came after it became clear the defence lacked the required medical support for his original argument. Ms. Odysseos, aged 32, was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when she endured the brutal attack.
Alana Odysseos was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when she was attacked by Shaine March. Pic: PA/family handout
The court heard the couple had a heated argument just hours before the attack, specifically over the difficult decision of whether to terminate their unborn child. Tragically, Ms. Odysseos had told March she did not want to “kill my baby.” March previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, but today he changed his plea to admit murder. This decision followed legal arguments revealing a key defence expert would no longer support his claim of diminished responsibility. Mr. Justice Murray subsequently discharged the jury and lifted reporting restrictions on March’s unsettling criminal past.
The court heard terrifying details about March’s history of violence. He was only 21 years old when he killed a 17-year-old man, Andre Drummond, by stabbing him in the neck at a McDonald’s restaurant in January 2000. March was convicted of that murder in July of the same year and received a life sentence. He was released from prison on licence in early 2013, having served years for the initial crime. Disturbingly, he was recalled to jail later that same year after committing an assault on another partner in July, demonstrating a clear pattern of dangerous domestic behaviour. March was released again in February 2018, having been seeing Ms. Odysseos for around four months before her horrific killing.
The devastating event unfolded outside Ms. Odysseos’s home on Lynmouth Road. Members of the public, alerted to the scene, quickly rang 999 after finding Ms. Odysseos clutching her right side, wearing only a nightie and dressing gown. Bleeding from numerous stab wounds, she desperately shouted: “Shaine stabbed me, he stabbed me. Help, help.” March simply walked away, leaving the severely injured woman to die on the ground outside her residence.
She sustained multiple stab wounds to her chest, stomach, pelvis, shoulders, buttocks, right arm, thighs, and lower legs. Before attempting to discard his mobile phone in a drain, March recorded a chilling voice note declaring: “Mum, I just killed a woman, and I’m going back to jail.” Following his eventual arrest, March allegedly told police: “I did it. I killed her Alana Odysseos. I killed her hahahaha.”
Shaine March is currently held in custody, with his sentencing scheduled for October 31st. This particular case has brought forth significant questions regarding the management and supervision of previously convicted violent offenders who are released on parole or license. These concerns are amplified by Shaine March’s extensive criminal history, which includes a previous conviction for murder back in the year 2000, followed by other recorded instances of assault.
Given the deeply disturbing details surrounding Shaine March’s violent acts and the tragic circumstances of Alana Odysseos’s murder, a fundamental and deeply important question emerges: In the face of such unspeakable brutality, can victims and society as a whole genuinely discover pathways towards not only survival but also lasting healing after enduring the weight of unimaginable trauma?
While the journey towards recovery is undoubtedly fraught with immense challenges and profound pain, the persistence of hope remains a crucial element. Access to robust support systems, access to specialized therapeutic interventions, and the nurturing strength of community connections can provide vital avenues for healing, enabling victims to navigate the complex labyrinth of their experiences, process the pain, and ultimately find a sense of meaning and purpose within their lives.
Society itself possesses the capacity to heal and move forward constructively by acknowledging the pervasive nature of such trauma, actively implementing preventative strategies to minimize future occurrences, and cultivating environments of empathy, understanding, and compassionate solidarity.
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The sad news is a grim reminder for law enforcement and correctional authorities establish and enforce stricter parole stipulations and introduce more comprehensive monitoring systems for individuals who are identified as posing a high risk to public safety in order to prevent such issues from recurring in future.
