Pregnant woman stabbed 19 times to death by ex-convict boyfriend in London

A pregnant woman, Alana Odysseos, was brutally murdered by her abusive boyfriend, a convicted killer who had previously served a life sentence for murder.

The 32-year-old, who was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child, was stabbed 19 times by 47-year-old Shaine March at her home in Walthamstow, east London, in the early hours of July 22, 2024.

During his trial at the Old Bailey, March initially admitted to manslaughter by diminished responsibility but later changed his plea to murder.

Court records revealed that March had a violent past. At just 21, he fatally stabbed 17-year-old Andre Drummond during an altercation at a McDonald’s restaurant in January 2000, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

After being released on licence in 2013, March was later recalled to prison for assaulting another partner before being released again in 2018.

He began dating Alana in early 2024, but the relationship quickly turned toxic and abusive. Prosecutor Louise Oakley described Alana as a vulnerable woman who “just wanted to be loved” before her tragic death.

The case has drawn widespread outrage, with calls for stricter monitoring of violent offenders released on licence.