Double killer given whole life term

A double murderer, who stabbed his pregnant girlfriend to death while on licence for an earlier killing, will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Shaine March was originally handed a minimum 42 years for killing Alana Odysseos in east London in July 2024.

He stabbed and slashed the 32 year old 23 times at her home in Walthamstow.

The 48-year-old had previously stabbed a teenager at a McDonalds in south London in 2000.

The Solicitor General referred his second life sentence to the Court of Appeal, with barristers telling a hearing on Thursday that March should have been given a whole life order.

March also challenged the length of his sentence, with his barristers claiming it was “manifestly excessive”.

In a ruling, Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mr Justice Cavanagh and Judge Alice Robinson, said: “The sentence was unduly lenient.

“We quash it, and we quash the minimum term order that the judge made, and substitute in its place a whole life order, which means that the offender will never be released.”

After being told he would die behind bars, March, who watched Thursday’s proceedings via a videolink from HMP Belmarsh in London, addressed members of Ms Odysseos’ family in court and said: “I just want to say that I am sorry.”

Following the ruling, Solicitor General Ellie Reeves said: “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. Alana’s daughters have lost their mother, and her family have lost someone they loved deeply.

“There is no room for violence against women and girls and I welcome the court’s decision to increase Shaine March’s prison sentence, removing this extremely dangerous offender off our streets and protecting anyone else suffering harm.

“I would like to express my deepest sympathies to Alana’s daughters and everyone who cared for her.”

Speaking after the ruling outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Ms Odysseos’ father, Alan Yates, said he was “over the moon” and that “finally my daughter has got justice”.

He said that one of Ms Odysseos’ children does not know that her mother was murdered and “feels that her mother has left her”.

Mary Griffin, a relative of Ms Odysseos who also attended Thursday’s hearing, added: “She asks us when she is coming back.”

Mr Yates also said that Ms Odysseos’ family would seek to have the law changed in her name to protect women from domestic violence, adding: “Women need protecting. There is too much violence. There were over 100 killed last year.”

He said: “The original sentencing, I was pleased he got a lot, but I wanted what we just got.

“He will never get out, and that’s brilliant.”

He added: “We have fought as hard as we can.”

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