| The Dream Solution
- Articles |
27/03/01
- Shaughnessy
Michael O'Toole
Exclusive
THE PARENTS of an Irish murder victim have been given fresh hope
that her killer will be brought to justice after British police
decided to reopen the case. The Star can reveal that the Metropolitan
Police has launched a fresh investigation into the 1991 murder
of Kilkenny bom Alison Shaughnessy - and it could see at least
one of the women jailed for the killing being prosecuted again.
Alison's father Bobby Blackmore yesterday said: "We are more
optimistic than ever now that the killer or killers will be put
behind bars." Detectives will be interviewing a key witness
who claims to have seen a letter in which Michelle Taylor - originally
convicted with her sister Lisa of Alison's murder - admits to
killing her. Alison (21) died from 54 stab wounds after the frenzied
attack at her London flat in June, 1991 just days before her first
wedding anniversary.
Her husband John's lover, Michelle Taylor and her sister Lisa,
were later convicted of the murder after a sensational trial in
1992. They were released a year later, when a court ruled press
reports had unfairly influenced the original jury. Self-confessed
former gangster Bernard O'Mahoney - who left his own wife for
Michelle Taylor after they were freed in 1993 - now claims he
found a letter in which it appears Michelle admitted to the murder.
The Taylors lost a legal bid in 1997 to prevent O'Mahoney from
publishing any of their letters. Britain is planning to abolish
the double jeopardy law, which means people can't be prosecuted
for the same offence twice. That move could see at least one of
the two women in the dock again.
The Met's Murder review Group has started to investigate the case
- to see if there is any possibility of fresh charges being laid.
Her parents Bobby and Breda Blackmore, living in Piltown, Co Kilkenny,
hope the claim Michelle confessed to the killing will see her
being prosecuted again.
Mr Blackmore yesterday told The Star: "This is good news,
we are very happy to hear it. "We are hopeful, but we do
not want to get our hopes up. "There is not a day that goes
by that we don't think of Alison - the pain never goes away. "I
just hope that one day there will be justice."
And Bernard O'Mahoney yesterday told The Star: "I will be
meeting detectives in the next three weeks. "I understand
they will be talking to me about the letter I discovered. "But
they have also told me they will be reinvestigating the whole
case, including forensic evidence."
During the original 1992 trial it emerged 18-year-old Michelle
Taylor was having an affair with Alison's husband of one year,
John Shaughnessy. The prosecution alleged Michelle killed Alison
out of jealous sexual obsession.
It was revealed she wrote in her diary: "I hate Alison, the
unwashed bitch." The jury accepted the prosecution's version
of events in which they said Michelle launched the furious attack
while her sister Lisa kept watch at the door. John Shaughnessy
has remarried since his first wife's death and. was last known
to be living and working in Killarney, Co Kerry. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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