Double killer Shaine March, who murdered his pregnant partner while on parole for a prior homicide, has had his prison term altered significantly. March has now been given a whole life sentence following a Court of Appeal decision that deemed his previous punishment too lenient. The 32-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment last October with a minimum term of 42 years after fatally stabbing his girlfriend Alana Odysseos, who was pregnant with their child, in a brutal attack at her residence in Walthamstow, east London.
During his sentencing, it was revealed that March callously confessed to the murder, laughing as he admitted to the police his involvement in the tragic incident. The court heard that March deliberately targeted Ms. Odysseos’s reproductive organs during the assault, inflicting multiple fatal wounds on her body. March had a history of coercive and controlling behavior towards Ms. Odysseos, culminating in the fatal stabbing and his subsequent attempt to dispose of evidence by discarding his phone in a drain.
March’s criminal past included a prior murder conviction at the age of 21 for fatally stabbing Andre Dummond in a McDonald’s restaurant in 2000. Despite being released on parole in early 2013, he was sent back to prison later that year following an assault on another partner. He was released again in February 2018 before his latest conviction.
The Solicitor General raised concerns about March’s sentence, leading to the Court of Appeal’s decision to impose a whole life order on him, ensuring he remains incarcerated indefinitely. March, who appeared via video link from HMP Belmarsh, expressed remorse to the family of Ms. Odysseos upon hearing the court’s ruling.
Throughout the trial, it was revealed that Ms. Odysseos, a mother of two, had just learned of her pregnancy with March, despite concerns from her loved ones about their relationship. On the night of the fatal attack, she adamantly refused March’s demand for an abortion, stating her desire to keep the baby.
Prosecutors described the heartbreaking scene where Ms. Odysseos was found outside her home, clinging to life after sustaining multiple stab wounds. Witnesses heard her cries for help as she identified March as her assailant before he callously left the scene.
Legal representatives argued over the severity of March’s sentence, with the prosecution advocating for the whole life order as a fitting punishment due to the egregious nature of the crime. March’s defense highlighted his brain injury as a mitigating factor, suggesting a reduction in his sentence.