A dangerous killer who murdered his pregnant girlfriend just months after being released from prison for stabbing a teenager to death has been handed a life sentence. Shaine March, 28, will serve at least 32 years behind bars for what a judge described as an "appalling and brutal" attack.
Previous Murder Conviction
March had previously served time for the 2013 murder of 18-year-old Liam O'Callaghan, who was stabbed through the heart during a confrontation in Huyton, Merseyside. Released on licence in 2021, March was supposed to be under strict supervision in the community.
Tragic Final Months
Ebony Frayne, 27, had been in a relationship with March for approximately six months when she discovered she was pregnant with his child. The court heard how March became "controlling and aggressive" upon learning of the pregnancy.
In a chilling sequence of events, March took Ms Frayne to a hospital appointment on February 7th, 2023, where they saw their unborn baby on a scan. Mere hours later, he launched a vicious attack at her home in Prescot, Merseyside.
Brutal Attack
Prosecutors described how March stabbed Ms Frayne multiple times with a kitchen knife, inflicting wounds to her neck, chest and abdomen. The attack was so violent that the knife blade bent during the assault.
Neighbours reported hearing desperate screams of "get off me" and "help me" before March fled the scene. Despite emergency services rushing to the property, Ms Frayne and her unborn child were pronounced dead at the scene.
Failed by the System
The case has raised serious concerns about offender management, as March was under active probation supervision at the time of the murder. He had been assessed as posing a "high risk of serious harm" to the public and particularly to partners.
Judge David Aubrey KC told March: "You are in my judgement a highly dangerous individual. You have now murdered twice." The judge emphasised that March had shown "not a shred of remorse" for his actions.
Family's Heartbreak
In emotional victim impact statements, Ms Frayne's family described their unimaginable loss. Her mother spoke of her daughter's excitement about becoming a mother and how March had "robbed her of everything."
The family now faces a lifetime of grief, having lost not only Ebony but also the grandchild they never had the chance to meet.
