East London man killed pregnant girlfriend after telling her to have abortion, court told

A violent and controlling man killed his pregnant girlfriend by stabbing her 19 times after he told her to have an abortion

A violent and controlling man killed his pregnant girlfriend by stabbing her 19 times after he told her to have an abortion, a court has heard.

Alana Odysseos, 32, was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when she was killed by Shaine March at her home in Walthamstow, east London, early last July 22.

Shortly before her death, March had threatened Ms Odysseos, accused her of cheating and said the unborn child was not his, the Old Bailey was told.

Hours before her death, neighbours allegedly heard the couple arguing, with a female voice saying: “I don’t want to kill my baby.”

At 3am, members of the public in Lynmouth Road rang 999 after finding Ms Odysseos outside her home wearing a nightie and dressing gown and clutching her right side.

Bleeding from multiple stab wounds to her body, she pointed at the defendant standing nearby and shouted: “Shaine stabbed me, he stabbed me. Help, help.”

March walked away and Ms Odysseos died on the ground outside her address despite the efforts of police and paramedics, jurors heard.

March, 47, Surrey Quays, south-east London, has admitted her manslaughter by diminished responsibility but denied murder.

Opening his Old Bailey trial on Thursday, prosecutor Louise Oakley said Ms Odysseos had been seeing March for around four months and had recently found out she was pregnant.

The victim had experienced “huge personal loss” in her life, having lost two partners, who were the fathers of her two children, the court heard.

Ms Oakley said: “She was vulnerable. All she wanted by the time she died was to be loved.”

Around three months before, Ms Odysseos began to tell friends and family details about the defendant’s behaviour, saying they argued constantly, jurors were told.

She allegedly told a friend she was not allowed to talk to people, and had to answer the phone to March at all times of the day and night to tell him where she was.

She divulged March had destroyed or thrown out her child’s toys and said that they argued over her pregnancy.

Ms Oakley said: “She admitted that she was scared of the defendant. There had plainly been physical violence. You will hear reference to a glass smashed in her face.”

The defendant put distance between Ms Odysseos and her family “where he could” and accused her of cheating, the prosecutor added.

The victim allegedly showed her sister WhatsApp voice notes sent by the defendant shouting and threatening, calling her names, saying their unborn child was not his and telling her to get an abortion.

When urged to leave him, Ms Odysseos said she loved him and that he had promised to change, the court was told.

During the evening of last July 21, Ms Odysseos messaged her sister that March was “acting up”.

She replied: “Oh sis u deserve so much better x,” to which Ms Odysseos said: “Can’t help who u love but he don’t love any of us.”

Ms Oakley told jurors: “Little did she know that hours later, she would be dead.”

Around midnight, neighbours overheard an argument which moved outside, with a male allegedly saying: “I’m not letting you back in, I’m fed up with you, you always do this.”

Ms Odysseos was standing outside in her dressing gown crying, trying to apologise.

The row appeared to settle down until the early hours when Ms Odysseos was found outside the property with fatal stab wounds to her chest, stomach, pelvis, shoulders, buttocks, right arm, thighs and lower legs.

At 4.41am, staff at Creams Cafe in Walthamstow called 999 to report finding a man covered in blood who told them he had killed his wife and child.

Following his arrest, March allegedly told police: “I did it. I killed her Alana Odysseos. I killed her hahahaha.”

As he was put into a police van, he allegedly went on to asked to be put in jail “where I belong”, saying he was “scum” and deserved it.

On route to Barking Police Station, March allegedly said: “I hope she isn’t dead. I hope the baby in her belly is still alive. But you know what yeah? But I did say to her, have the abortion…”

The defendant later allegedly told a prison officer that he “saw red” and stabbed his girlfriend with a knife from the kitchen after arguing about a pair of his trainers.

He also revealed he had disposed of three mobile phones down a drain near to her home, jurors heard.

One of the phones was recovered and police uncovered a voice note recorded as March walked away from the scene, saying: “Mum I just killed a woman, and I’m going back to jail.”

Ms Oakley rejected the defendant’s claim of having a mental disorder at the time of the killing, saying the evidence showed he murdered his girlfriend “in a fit of anger”.

The trial continues.

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