Alan McMullan

Alan McMullan had an ordinary life. He worked in a factory, drank too much and had a girlfriend 15-years his younger after a messy divorce.
Then she walked out on him. He started to drink more, then got sacked from the Baxters factory, as a consequence he lost his home. He became angry and volatile and started carrying a knife. He become a regular in pubs around Grimsby when his benefits allowed.

2008, McMullan had on three occasions handed himself into police while armed with a knife and claimed a voice in his head was telling him to kill people.
Each time he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and released after treatment. On the final occasion doctors decided he was 'exaggerating his symptoms to gain admission to hospital',

Sunday 7th June 2009, at 4pm Claire Wilson, who was six months pregnant, was walking to work at a pizza Hut restaurant. McMullan who had been drinking in a local hotel all day, spotted her, and started to follow. when she reached the corner of Victoria Street i n the town centre she was attacked by Alan McMullan. He plunged a long knife with much force through her back, she screamed and fell to the ground. The act was witnessed by several passers-by who quickly called emergency services,one local man even followed McMullan who stayed close to the scene, wondering up and down the road. When police arrived he was quickly pointed out. When police approached him he said "I've got voices in my head telling me to do it. I've left my knife in her."

Thursday 3rd September 2009, McMullan pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but the crown rejected the claim. He was detained to stand trial for murder at a later date.

May 2010, at Hull Crown court the jury heard from a consultant psychiatrist who interviewed McMullan on several occasions, he concluded that despite McMullans claims of diminished responsibility, he was fully aware of, and in control of his actions.

The jury of six men and six women agreed. After deliberating for an hour and a half, they found McMullan guilty of murder. 

A week later he was jailed for a minimum of 20-years by Judge Michael Mettyear who said: “Claire had everything to live for. You ended her life for your own distorted and selfish ends. As a result of your actions, the baby's life was also lost.”

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