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Laughing double killer jailed for life after murdering his pregnant girlfriend

A convicted murderer has been jailed for life today with a minimum term of 42 years for stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death when she refused to abort their baby. Shaine March was out of prison on licence when he knifed 32-year-old Alana Odysseos 19 times at her home in Walthamstow, east London. March later told police about his attack on the mum: "I did it. I killed her, hahahaha." He refused to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday after telling prison staff: "It's only a sentencing." Members of Alana's family watched proceedings as prosecutor Louise Oakley said the court had the power to compel him to attend. She said: "It is important to the family he is present at the hearing to hear the effect he has had on that family." Mr Justice Murray adjourned the hearing briefly for further inquiries to be made, saying he was "reluctant" to give March the option of attending on videolink. March was jailed for life at the age of 21 after fatally stabbing Andre Dummond in the neck at a McDonald’s restaurant in January 2000. He was released on licence in early 2013, but was recalled to jail later that year after an assault on another partner and was released again in February 2018. Alana had just discovered she was expecting a child with March, a violent and controlling boyfriend who family and friends had urged her to leave. But they were still together on the night of the attack, when Alana, who had two young daughters, was overheard refusing March’s request to have an abortion saying: "I don't want to kill my baby." March, 47, of Surrey Quays, south-east London, initially denied murder and went on trial at the Old Bailey. But he changed his plea to guilty, after a key expert in his defence said they could not support the idea that the stabbing happened when his responsibility was diminished. Neighbours in Walthamstow, North East London, heard Alana say: "I don't want to kill my baby." She was found in the street bleeding from multiple wounds. The Old Bailey trial heard that cafe staff later found a man covered in blood who said he had killed his wife and child. Alana withdrew from friends after she started dating March, as he controlled her behaviour and movements. She told a friend how the thug banned her from talking to people, threw away her child’s toys, and once smashed a glass in her face. Her sister urged her to leave the killer after she revealed he had accused her of cheating, forced her to delete male contacts from her phone, and hurled verbal abuse at her, the court heard. But they were still in contact on July 22 last year, when he killed her in the early hours of the morning. Prosecutor Louise Oakley said Alana was found outside her home. “She was wearing her nightie and a dressing gown. She was clutching her right side. She was bleeding from multiple stab wounds to her body. “She was shouting ‘Shaine stabbed me, he stabbed me’, and ‘Shaine stabbed me, he stabbed me, help, help’.” The court heard March “walked away” while efforts were ongoing to save her life. Ms Oakley told jurors: “By July 2024, she had been in a relationship with the defendant for approximately four months on the date of her death, and had recently discovered she was pregnant. “She was someone who had experienced huge personal loss following the death of two partners who were the fathers of her children. She was vulnerable and all she wanted was to be loved. She desperately wanted to create a family environment for her two-year-old daughter.” Ms Oakley said Alana had told friends before she died that there was trouble in her relationship. “She disclosed to a friend that she was not allowed to talk to people, and that she had to answer the telephone to him at all times, day or night, including video calls to prove where she was, who she was with, and what she was doing. That they would also argue constantly. “In other conversations she also divulged that the defendant had destroyed or thrown out all of her daughter’s toys and that they had argued about the fact she had recently discovered she was pregnant. She admitted that she was scared of the defendant and had been assaulted by him.” The day before the fatal stabbing, Alana told her sister that March was “acting up”. Her sister told her: “U deserve so much better”, but she replied: “Can’t help who u love but he don’t love any of us.” At around midnight, neighbours overheard a lengthy argument, the court heard, with a male voice shouting “pregnant” and female voice pleading “come back” and “I don’t want to kill my baby”. Det Insp Aytac Necati, who led the Met Police investigation, said earlier this month: “My thoughts remain with Alana’s family and friends, as well as her young daughter, their lives will never be the same after she was so brutally taken away from them. March is a cowardly individual who showed absolutely no remorse for Alana or her family. "Today he has finally admitted murder and will rightly face the consequences of his actions. “This case shows the devastating impact domestic abuse has on victim-survivors, families and communities. I urge anyone who experiences domestic abuse or controlling behaviour to report it to police, our officers will listen and will support you.”

Tom Pettifor • October 31, 2025

Laughing double killer jailed for life after murdering his pregnant girlfriend

A convicted murderer has been jailed for life today with a minimum term of 42 years for stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death when she refused to abort their baby.

Shaine March was out of prison on licence when he knifed 32-year-old Alana Odysseos 19 times at her home in Walthamstow, east London. March later told police about his attack on the mum: "I did it. I killed her, hahahaha."

He refused to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday after telling prison staff: "It's only a sentencing." Members of Alana's family watched proceedings as prosecutor Louise Oakley said the court had the power to compel him to attend.

She said: "It is important to the family he is present at the hearing to hear the effect he has had on that family." Mr Justice Murray adjourned the hearing briefly for further inquiries to be made, saying he was "reluctant" to give March the option of attending on videolink.

March was jailed for life at the age of 21 after fatally stabbing Andre Dummond in the neck at a McDonald’s restaurant in January 2000. He was released on licence in early 2013, but was recalled to jail later that year after an assault on another partner and was released again in February 2018.

Alana had just discovered she was expecting a child with March, a violent and controlling boyfriend who family and friends had urged her to leave. But they were still together on the night of the attack, when Alana, who had two young daughters, was overheard refusing March’s request to have an abortion saying: "I don't want to kill my baby."

March, 47, of Surrey Quays, south-east London, initially denied murder and went on trial at the Old Bailey. But he changed his plea to guilty, after a key expert in his defence said they could not support the idea that the stabbing happened when his responsibility was diminished.

Neighbours in Walthamstow, North East London, heard Alana say: "I don't want to kill my baby." She was found in the street bleeding from multiple wounds. The Old Bailey trial heard that cafe staff later found a man covered in blood who said he had killed his wife and child.

Alana withdrew from friends after she started dating March, as he controlled her behaviour and movements. She told a friend how the thug banned her from talking to people, threw away her child’s toys, and once smashed a glass in her face.

Her sister urged her to leave the killer after she revealed he had accused her of cheating, forced her to delete male contacts from her phone, and hurled verbal abuse at her, the court heard. But they were still in contact on July 22 last year, when he killed her in the early hours of the morning.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley said Alana was found outside her home. “She was wearing her nightie and a dressing gown. She was clutching her right side. She was bleeding from multiple stab wounds to her body.

“She was shouting ‘Shaine stabbed me, he stabbed me’, and ‘Shaine stabbed me, he stabbed me, help, help’.”

The court heard March “walked away” while efforts were ongoing to save her life. Ms Oakley told jurors: “By July 2024, she had been in a relationship with the defendant for approximately four months on the date of her death, and had recently discovered she was pregnant.

“She was someone who had experienced huge personal loss following the death of two partners who were the fathers of her children. She was vulnerable and all she wanted was to be loved. She desperately wanted to create a family environment for her two-year-old daughter.”

Ms Oakley said Alana had told friends before she died that there was trouble in her relationship. “She disclosed to a friend that she was not allowed to talk to people, and that she had to answer the telephone to him at all times, day or night, including video calls to prove where she was, who she was with, and what she was doing. That they would also argue constantly.

“In other conversations she also divulged that the defendant had destroyed or thrown out all of her daughter’s toys and that they had argued about the fact she had recently discovered she was pregnant. She admitted that she was scared of the defendant and had been assaulted by him.”

The day before the fatal stabbing, Alana told her sister that March was “acting up”. Her sister told her: “U deserve so much better”, but she replied: “Can’t help who u love but he don’t love any of us.” At around midnight, neighbours overheard a lengthy argument, the court heard, with a male voice shouting “pregnant” and female voice pleading “come back” and “I don’t want to kill my baby”.

Det Insp Aytac Necati, who led the Met Police investigation, said earlier this month: “My thoughts remain with Alana’s family and friends, as well as her young daughter, their lives will never be the same after she was so brutally taken away from them. March is a cowardly individual who showed absolutely no remorse for Alana or her family. "Today he has finally admitted murder and will rightly face the consequences of his actions.

“This case shows the devastating impact domestic abuse has on victim-survivors, families and communities. I urge anyone who experiences domestic abuse or controlling behaviour to report it to police, our officers will listen and will support you.”

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