| The Dream Solution
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15/06/93
- I will never trust the police again
Exclusive
By Mark Sylvester
South London Press
THE moment the jury came back and said 'guilty is one that I'll
never forget for the rest of my life. Michelle Taylor is sitting
in the front room of her family's home in Kemble Road, Forest
Hill, surrounded by the flowers and cards of well-wishers, who
have followed the plight of Michelle and her sister Lisa.
The two girls were always close, but the experience of the last
two years has obviously bonded them even closer. On Sunday they
both spoke to the South London Press, after three Court of Appeal
judges quashed their life sentences for the murder of bank clerk
Alison Shaughnessy.
Michelle (22), said, "When we were first arrested it was
just a blank. "We just kept thinking we were going home.
Even when we were charged it didn't really sink in. That only
happened when we were taken to Holloway.
"I stayed awake all night. Everyone in my dorm was in for
murder. I was separated from Lisa and I was worried that she was
all right." Lisa was bailed shortly afterwards until the
girls stood trial at the Old Bailey on July 6 last year, and the
jury returned a verdict of guilty.
Lisa (19), said, "I looked up and saw my mum and dad. We
just felt empty. "That night we were given a dorm together
in Holloway and we sat up all night staring at each other. "All
we could think about was our little cousins had baked us some
cakes.
One thing was that I had been told by my barrister that we could
appeal." It was at that moment that their parents Ann and
Derek began to campaign to free them. Ann said, "Lisa wrote
us a letter saying, 'We know you will prove our innocence, I knew
they weren't staying in there."
Although the girls could not follow every detail of the campaign,
it gave them hope while they were in prison. Lisa said, "Mum
and dad were bloody brilliant. We had no doubts when it came towards
the appeal."
Both girls said they now just wanted time to settle back in and
find their feet. Long term plans will have to wait. Lisa said,
"It'll take me ages just to clear up my room. |
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