A cold-blooded double murderer who killed his pregnant girlfriend while out on licence for a previous killing has been slammed by judges and slapped with a whole life order.
Brutal Stabbing Shocks East London
Alana Odysseos, 32, from Suffolk, was viciously stabbed 19 times outside her Walthamstow flat on 22 July 2024. She was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child.
Shaine March, 47, of Surrey Quays, south-east London, was originally handed life with a minimum 42-year term last October. But the Solicitor General argued that sentence was far too lenient and took it to the Court of Appeal.
Judges Slam “Unduly Lenient” Sentence
“The sentence was unduly lenient. We quash it, and… substitute in its place a whole life order, which means that the offender will never be released.” – Lord Justice Edis
March had been released on life licence in 2013 after stabbing 17-year-old Andre Drummond to death back in 2000.
Shocking Court Revelations
- March first admitted manslaughter citing diminished responsibility but later pleaded guilty to murder.
- Court heard he abused and controlled Odysseos during their four-month relationship, isolating her.
- The couple had a heated argument about her pregnancy just hours before the murder, with Alana reportedly pleading, “I don’t want to kill my baby.”
- A child witnessed the horrific attack, and the unborn baby’s death was a serious aggravating factor.
- Despite March’s claim that a traumatic brain injury contributed, the court ruled it wasn’t a major factor.
Final Words & Emotional Fallout
Watching from HMP Belmarsh via video link, March told Alana’s family: “I just want to say that I am sorry.”
The Solicitor General responded with heartbreak: “Alana Odysseos was a loving mother whose life was tragically cut short in an act of appalling violence by a man with a long history of serious violence. Her daughters have lost their mother, and her family have lost someone they loved deeply.”
