'My sister was killed by a freed murderer - now we're the ones on life sentence'

04 March 2024 , 13:48

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Cherylee Shennan died at the hands of her partner Paul O'Hara in 2014

Cherylee Shennan had always adored fireworks. Her annual Bonfire Night party was one of her family’s most important get-togethers. So it was the perfect setting for Cherylee to introduce her new man to her family.

Her younger sister and “best friend” Chiyvonne Shennan, 45, says: “We used to have a big family party every year, everybody used to go. Cherylee used to make treacle toffee, three types. She’d do toffee apples, bake pies and make cheesecakes. She made it incredible.”

That last year, everything was different. Cherylee had a black eye. And while her new man, Paul O’Hara, seemed normal, the family sensed something was off. Four months later, on March 17, 2014, O’Hara, then 41, tried to strangle ­Cherylee, 40, repeatedly battered her with a hammer and then stabbed her to death in the street. It was not his first killing. O’Hara had murdered his previous partner Janine Waterworth, 21, in 1998, stabbing her 12 times. He had served just 14 years of his life sentence before being freed on licence in 2012, months before he met single mum-of-one Cherylee.

Chiyvonne is now backing the Mirror’s Justice For Our Daughters campaign, calling for tougher sentences for domestic killers. Under current laws, a killer faces life, with a minimum of 25 years, if they take a weapon to the scene. The minimum drops to 15 years if the weapon is already there, as is the case in most male-on-female domestic killings.

Chiyvonne Shennan has opened up on the devastating murder of her sister, Cherylee (Chiyvonne Shennan)

The campaign, backed by action group Killed Women, calls for a minimum term of 25 years regardless. And Chiyvonne is urging Mirror readers to add their support to the Ministry of Justice’s public consultation before it closes tonight. With just days until the 10th anniversary of her sister’s death, she is painfully aware of what difference it could make.

Double killer who slit girlfriend's throat within weeks of release jailed

Chiyvonne says: “If he had at least been locked up for 25 years the first time my sister would still be alive. He is a very dangerous individual. We need to make sure a life sentence is a life sentence. Because we, the victim’s family, are the ones living a life sentence.”

Cherylee, from Rawtenstall, Lancs, was the eldest of six siblings and had an adult daughter from a previous relationship, and met O’Hara in April 2013 after he took a job in her furniture shop. They began dating and he soon became controlling and physically abusive. Because O’Hara was on licence, ­Cherylee was eventually told about his past, but by then it was too late. Chiyvonne says: “She was told on the phone by a probation worker, while O’Hara was holding her at knifepoint.”

Janine Waterworth was murdered in 1998

Chiyvonne says the red flags were there when she first met O’Hara, who she calls “the monster”, at the firework party. On March 1 the next year, Cherylee finally confided in another sister, Ellen, about the abuse, then reported to the police that O’Hara had broken her jaw and held her hostage at knifepoint. This should have triggered O’Hara’s recall to prison because he was on a life licence, but when police went to see her on March 2 she withdrew the allegations. O’Hara was hiding in the cupboard.

The day before she died, Cherylee phoned the police again. Chiyvonne says: “She said she was fearing for her life.” When two officers arrived the next day, O’Hara was hiding in the garden. He ran into the house armed with a hammer and tried to strangle Cherylee before getting a knife from the kitchen. He attacked the officers then chased Cherylee, stabbing her five times. O’Hara was handed a whole life order in June 2014. But the fact he will never be free is of little consolation to Chiyvonne.

Paul O'Hara, 43, from Heywood, was given a whole life order

She says: “It is shocking that he was able to just come out of prison and take somebody else’s life. That’s why I am supporting the Daily Mirror’s campaign to keep these dangerous killers off the streets for longer.” An Ministry of Justice statement said: “We will carefully consider the responses to our consultation to ensure the scourge of violence against women is tackled as coherently and effectively as possible.”

Meanwhile, fireworks have lost all sparkle for the Shennan family. Chiyvonne says: “They feel like a kick in the face.”

“For too long we have handed more lenient sentences to men who kill their partners” - Lady Cherie Blair

The prevalence of domestic murder throughout our society is a sobering statistic – with on average two women a week being killed by their current or former partner in England and Wales.

We know that these domestic homicides account for around a quarter of all homicides. Yet for too long our criminal justice system has handed more lenient sentences to men who kill their partners or ex-partners than those who kill strangers or acquaintances.

It is imperative that the outcomes from a Ministry of Justice consultation on sentencing for domestic murder honour the lives of women killed by perpetrators known to them by ensuring sentencing is proportionate to the heinous nature of this crime. This requires that the MoJ recognises the various forms of abuse that precede domestic homicide and offer tougher sentencing guidelines.

Killer dances in his victim's house with twerking model who later turned on him

Critically, we must invest in the essential services which support survivors to flee domestic abuse if we are to prevent more women from being killed in the future.

As our social services bow under the weight of soaring demand, organisations like Refuge require our urgent support as a lifeline for survivors who are at high risk of being killed at the hands of a current or former partner.

You can donate to Refuge here: https://donate.refuge.org.uk/page/86578/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=GEN_2401_WH_BAN_CA

Lydia Veljanovski