120 - Dear Diary: The murder of Alison Shaughnessy

Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

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Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2023

⏱️ 69 minutes

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Summary

In June of 1991, 21 year old newly-wed Alison Shaughnessy was found lying in a pool of blood at the entrance to her flat in London by her husband John. After a stalled police investigation, two women were arrested and tried for Alison's murder. But is it possible that what was presented to the court as motive for her murder, gleaned from a 21 year old woman's diary, had pointed police in the wrong direction? Who killed Alison Shaughnessy? ******** Find us on Facebook or Twitter! With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! Donate today to get access to bonus and ad-free episodes! Check out the Mens Rea Merch Store! ********* Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additional Music: Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ******** Music: Kevin McLeod, Quinns Song : The Dance Begins. (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ********* Sources: “Irish girl murdered in London” in The Evening Herald(5 June 1991) p. 57 Aidan Hennigan, “Murder to be reconstructed”, in The Evening Press (5 June 1991) p. 5 Bernard Purcell, “Knife killer ‘was waiting for Alison’” in The Evening Herald (5 June 1991) p. 10 “Young wife slain in flat” in The Irish Independent(5 June 1991) p. 1 “Killer’s face ‘scratched’” in The Evening Herald (6 June 1991) p. 2. “London murder shock” in The Munster Express (7 June 1991) p. 13 ‘Late Mrs A Shaughnessy” in The Roscommon Herald (21 June 191) p. 10 Feargal Keane, “Alison a serial killing?” in The Evening Press (24 June 1991) p. 1 “Alison: £25,000 reward” in The Irish Independent (30 July 1991) p. 3 “Alison breakthrough” in The Evening Herald (8 August 1991) p. 19 “Sisters charged with girl’s murder” in The Kilkenny People (16 August 1991) p. 1. “Sisters remanded for murder” in The Irish Independent(10 august 1991) p 3 “Refused Bail” in The Munster Express (13 September 1991) p. 12 ‘Alison killing: man bailed” in The Irish Independent(8 November 1991) p. 24 “Sisters charged with bank clerk’s murder” in The Munster Express (13 December 1991) p. 1. “Sisters ‘cut throat’ of lover’s Irish wife” in The Irish Independent (28 January 1992) p. 43. For a full list of sources, please see www.mensreapod.com

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the Men's Raya podcast, and this is the story of Alice in Shocknessy.
0:30.0	In the summer of 1991, a newlywed couple were beginning to settle into life together
0:45.1	in their first home.
0:46.5	They had moved into a flat in a three-story overbasement, terrace-touse, in Vardens Road,
0:51.9	Battersea, and Southwest London.
0:54.9	21-year-old Alison was born in London, though her parents were originally from Pylton,
0:59.9	County Kilkenny.
1:01.4	Bobby and Brita Blackmore had moved from Pylton shortly after they got married, and
1:06.3	Bobby eventually started working as a bus driver.
1:09.7	The Blackmore's had four children, two daughters including Alison and two sons.
1:15.9	Despite living in England's capital city, the family retained close links with the Pylton
1:20.7	area.
1:21.9	They often made trips home to visit relatives and Alison even made her first holy communion
1:26.6	in the parish church.
1:28.3	It was at that same church that she married her husband John Shocknessy in June of 1990.
1:35.3	29-year-old John also came from an Irish family.
1:39.2	Born in Dublin and raised in Ballon, Tuber, County, Ross Common, he had come from a large
1:43.8	family of 11 children.
1:46.2	After moving to London, John had met Alison in a pub and they'd hit it off.
1:50.7	A relationship blossomed from there.
1:53.8	Alison worked as a Barclays bank clerk and John was a purchasing manager at Churchill Clinic,
1:59.6	a private hospital in Lambeth.
	...

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