Alison Shaughnessy
Alison Shaughnessy, a 21-year-old newlywed, was brutally stabbed to death in her South London home in June 1991, a crime allegedly driven by a love triangle involving her husband and his mistress. The case saw Michelle Taylor, 21, and her sister Lisa Taylor, 19, convicted of the murder, though their convictions were later overturned on appeal due to concerns over forensic evidence and media bias.
Victim: Alison Shaughnessy, 21​
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Alleged perpetrators: Michelle Taylor, 21; Lisa Taylor, 19
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Date of incident: 3 June 1991
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Location: Battersea
​Key facts:
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Alison Shaughnessy was found with 54 stab wounds in the stairwell of her home.
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She was found in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs in their flat.
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John Shaughnessy, Alison’s husband, and Michelle Taylor, a 21-year-old colleague at the Churchill Clinic, had been involved in an affair since 1989, before and after John and Alison's marriage.
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Michelle Taylor was present when John discovered Alison’s body, which aroused suspicion.
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A key piece of evidence was a diary entry by Michelle expressing a wish for Alison to "disappear."
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A neighbour, Dr. Unsworth White, reported seeing two young women, one with a ponytail, leaving the flat in a hurry around the time of the murder, later identifying Lisa Taylor in an identity parade.
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Fingerprints of Michelle and her sister Lisa were found inside the flat, contradicting their claims of never having been there.
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The prosecution argued that the sisters were driven by jealousy, while the defence highlighted the lack of forensic evidence.
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Both Michelle and Lisa Taylor were convicted in 1992 but had their convictions overturned in 1993 due to concerns over media influence and insufficient evidence.
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Despite the overturning of the convictions, Alison’s family continues to believe in the guilt of the Taylor sisters.