December 4th 2024.
It's been almost thirty years since my world was shattered by the news of my daughter's brutal murder. As I sat in my son's house on Christmas Day in 1997, watching my grandchildren open their presents with excitement, I never could have imagined the phone call that would change everything. My son's face dropped as he handed me the phone, and I heard the words that will haunt me forever: "The police think Joanne's been murdered." My daughter, just 29 years old, had been taken from us.
In the immediate aftermath, I was in shock and screamed in disbelief. My poor grandchildren, who were all under 10 years old, didn't understand what was going on and were quickly taken away. That was the moment my life was forever changed. And now, almost three decades later, the man who murdered my little girl is about to be released from prison. I am doing everything in my power to stop that from happening.
Joanne was always a bright light in our lives - she was happy, caring, and always saw the good in people. She lived just 15 minutes away from me in Throckley, near Newcastle, but she would constantly call to chat and connect with me. She had spent the first half of Christmas Eve at her flat with her cat, and then her father was supposed to pick her up and take her to his house for the evening. My husband and I had even tried to convince her to spend Christmas Day with us, but she was determined to spend it with her friends.
Little did I know that when I hung up the phone after speaking to her for the last time, it would be the last time I ever heard her voice. The events of that night were later revealed to me by the police. Joanne had met 23-year-old Steven Ling at a pub in Stamfordham, where she had gone out with her friends. He was intoxicated and joined their group as they walked home. Joanne made it back to her father's flat, but somehow Ling convinced her to go to his house for a party. Only, there was no party. He violently attacked her, raped her, and then stabbed her with a kitchen knife. When the knife broke, he got another one and continued the attack. The details of her injuries were horrific, and it was clear that Ling had a sick and twisted fascination with violence and causing pain.
I still remember the day my son received the call about Joanne's murder - it was Christmas Day and our world fell apart. We were asked to identify her body, and it was a sight that will haunt me forever. She was so badly injured that her body was covered, and we could only see her face with her eyes wide open. I remember the blood dripping from her mouth, and she looked so angry. The rest of the day was a blur as we tried to come to terms with what had happened.
It wasn't until February that we learned the full extent of Joanne's injuries, and the details were unimaginable. She had tried to defend herself, and there were signs of sexual violence. It was determined that Ling had a "picqueristic style" attack, which means he had a sexual interest in penetrating the skin of another person with sharp objects. I couldn't believe that someone could do something so heinous to my daughter.
Since Joanne's death, I have been vocal about violence against women and have followed the case closely. I was heavily involved in helping the police put together the case against Ling, and I was in the courtroom for his trial. He pleaded guilty to murder but the rape charge was left to lie on file. However, he was given a mandatory life sentence with the judge stating that he would never be released as long as he was considered a danger to women. While I was relieved to see some justice for my daughter, I couldn't help but feel that the rape charge should have been pursued as well.
Now, as we approach the release date for the man who took my daughter's life, I am filled with fear and anger. I am determined to do everything in my power to ensure that he is not set free and that no other family has to suffer the same heartache and pain that we have endured. I am grateful to Metro for launching the "This Is Not Right" campaign to shed light on the epidemic of violence against women. It is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed, and I hope that our stories will empower and engage others to take action.
It's been almost three decades since my daughter, Joanne, was brutally murdered. As I watched my three grandchildren open their Christmas presents with joy and excitement, I couldn't help but think about the phone call that changed my life forever. It was Christmas Day in 1997 and I was at my son's house when the phone rang. My son's face turned pale as he told me it was my ex-husband on the other end of the line. Then, the words that shattered my world: 'The police think Joanne's been murdered.'
Joanne was only 29 years old and she was always full of life, always seeing the good in people. She lived just 15 minutes away from me, but she would always call to chat. That Christmas Eve, she spent the first half of the day at her flat with her cat before her father was supposed to pick her up and take her to his house so she could go out with her friends at the pub that evening. My husband, Wayne, and I even called her to convince her to spend Christmas Day with us, but she was determined to be with her dad and friends.
Little did I know that would be the last time I ever spoke to her. The police later revealed what happened that night. Joanne had never met Steven Ling until that evening at the pub. Intoxicated, he followed her and her friends on their walk home. Joanne made it back to her dad's flat alone and was getting ready for bed when Steven somehow convinced her to go to his house for a party. But when she got there, no one else was there.
Steven attacked her, viciously beating, raping, and ultimately stabbing her with a kitchen knife. The details of her injuries were horrific, with a total of 60 wounds, including an attempted cross or swastika carved into her skin. Joanne's body was found the next day, and my son received the devastating call on Christmas morning.
I was in shock and immediately started screaming. My poor grandchildren, who were all under 10 at the time, didn't understand what was happening and were taken away. From that moment on, my life was changed forever. And now, almost three decades later, the man who took my daughter's life will soon be released from prison. I am doing everything in my power to prevent that from happening.
The grief never goes away. I still remember the day I had to identify Joanne's body, seeing her face with her eyes wide open and blood dripping from her mouth. It was the worst thing that could have ever happened. The details of her attack were unbearable to hear – cuts on her hands from trying to defend herself, her pubic hair shaved, and a cigarette shoved inside of her. A psychiatric report later revealed that her killer had a sexual interest in penetrating the skin of others with sharp objects.
I have been outspoken in the media and closely followed the case since Joanne's death. I wanted to be involved and stay updated with the investigation, and I was present in the courtroom during Steven Ling's trial. He pleaded guilty to murder, but the rape charge was left to lie on file. He received a life sentence with a judge stating he would never be released as long as he posed a danger to women. While I was relieved to have some justice for my daughter, it didn't sit right with me that the rape charge was not fully addressed.
That's why I am now a part of Metro's This Is Not Right campaign, joining forces with Women's Aid to raise awareness and empower others on the issue of violence against women. I hope that by sharing Joanne's story, we can make a difference and prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating loss. No one should have to go through what my family has endured.
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