| The Dream Solution
- Articles |
25/07/92
- Sisters found guilty of murder
by David Sharrock
The Guardian
TWO young women last night began life sentences for the murder
of bank clerk Alison Shaughnessy, who was stabbed 54 times in
a frenzied attack at her home in Battersea, south London last
year. Michelle Taylor, the 21-year- old lover of the victim's
husband, John Shaughnessy, and her 19-year-old sister Lisa were
both found guilty of murder by the Old Bailey jury of seven women
and five men.
Mr Justice Blofeld told them: "After a lengthy trial and
an exhaustive and careful consideration of the evidence you have
been found guilty of this terrible crime — of killing Alison
Shaughnessy, the wife of John Shaughnessy, whose life was all
before her and whose life is now no more." Michelle cried
as she and her sister were led down to the cells.
Their parents in the public gallery put their arms round each
other and gasped when the verdicts were given. A woman juror was
in tears. The sisters' solicitor, Michael Holmes said there would
be an appeal. "They cannot believe the verdict." Alison's
parents, Bob and Breda Blackmore, sat in the well of the packed
courtroom as the women were sentenced.
Mrs Blackmore said the verdict had not surprised them. "No
sentence will ever atone for Alison's death. It doesn't matter
how many years they serve. They will be branded murderers for
the rest of their lives. Alison was a wonderful daughter."
After the verdict Mr Shaughnessy, aged 30, appeared at the court
with Alison's sister, Susan. He embraced family members and stopped
to talk to Alison's parents.
Asked about their feelings towards John Shaughnessy, Mrs Blackmore
added: "We are still a family. We will be talking to John,
we will all get together as a family." Detective Superintendent
Chris Burke, who led the investigation, said he was "absolutely
delighted" with the verdict. John Nutting, prosecuting, described
the "suppressed jealousy and hatred" for 21-year- old
Alison revealed in Michelle's notebook diaries. Michelle had been
having an affair with Alison's husband and her "dream solution"
was to remove her from the scene.
But Michelle also depicted herself, like Alison, a fellow victim
of the deceit of Mr Shaughnessy to whom she had surrendered her
virginity. Mr Nutting conceded Michelle had been "used and
abused" by the "rather worthless" Mr Shaughnessy,
who had repaid her love and loyalty with selfishness and unkindness.
The defence said the lack of evidence in the "pathetically
thin" prosecution case was frightening. No witness had identified
either girl at the scene and there was no forensic evidence. Michelle
would have had only six to nine minutes to carry out the killing
and return to the clinic where she worked, a car journey of 11
to 14 minutes.
The real culprit could have been an untraced man responsible for
other attacks on young women in the area. Mr Nutting conceded
in his closing speech that there were "loose ends" in
the case — the disappearance of jewellery from Alison's home
and the description of a "mystery man" leaving her address.
"The Crown cannot give you a certain identity as to who that
man was," he said. |
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