Until I Kill You covers the shocking events surrounding the relationship between serial killer John Sweeney, and his girlfriend Delia Balmer - but what happened to the murderer in the aftermath of events depicted, and where is he now?
If you're a fan of true crime, there's certainly no shortage of excellent dramatisations to feast your eyes on at the moment. From ITV's Joan and the escapades of the titular jewel thief and her partner in crime, Boisie Hannington, to Netflix's depiction of the horrifying Woman of The Hour true story, you can delve into real crimes playing out on your screen at every turn.
ITV's Until I Kill You is no exception - a gripping drama with electrifying performances from Anna Maxwell Martin as nurse Delia Balmer, who unwittingly begins a relationship with serial killer John Sweeney, portrayed by Shaun Evans. The powerful story is staying with viewers long after the credits have finished rolling, and many are wondering what happened to the pair when their on-screen stories came to a close. If you want to know where John Sweeney is now, read on for everything we've uncovered.
Warning: This article contains references to sensitive subject matters, including violence against women.
Where is John Sweeney now?
John Sweeney is currently in prison serving multiple life sentences for the attempted murder of Delia Balmer, and for the murders of Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields. He'd already killed Melissa Halstead in Amsterdam when he began a relationship with Delia Balmer. He went on the run following the attempted murder of Delia with an axe outside of her flat in London in 1994, and was eventually apprehended in 2001. Sweeney killed Paula Fields during his time at large.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Sweeney was born in Kirkdale in 1956 and trained as a carpenter and joiner on leaving school. He married a woman named Anne Bramley in 1976 and the couple later had two children. A turbulent marriage followed, and the pair divorced in 1979 but later reconciled and remarried in 1981.
By 1982, Anne felt threatened in the relationship and divorced Sweeney once again, and he moved to London. When residing in the capital, Sweeney met former model turned photographer, Melissa Halstead, 33. Melissa was deported from the UK in 1988, and went to live in Amsterdam. Her family report losing contact with her once she was deported, and Melissa's dismembered remains were found in the Westersingel canal near Rotterdam, in 1990.
Melissa's remains weren't formally identified until 2008, when her family in Ohio provided matching DNA samples. It was in 1991 that Sweeney struck up a relationship with nurse, Delia Balmer. Her account of their relationship and the abuse she suffered at his hands, and eventual escape from his attempt to murder her, form the basis of events depicted in Until I Kill You.
When Delia tried to end their relationship, Sweeney broke into her house, tied her to the bed and subjected her to a terrifying four-day ordeal. She managed to escape and inform the police, but Sweeney was arrested and let out on bail. The day after his bail release, he went straight to Delia's flat and attacked her with an axe, chopping off one of her fingers and leaving her scarred for life, physically and emotionally.
He only stopped his attempt on her life when a neighbour heard the incident underway and hit him with a baseball bat. Following the attempted murder of Delia, Sweeney went on the run across Europe. Sweeney was eventually caught in 2001, but had claimed another victim in the year before he was apprehended. He'd befriended and begun a relationship with sex worker Paula Fields in 2000, and her body was recovered from Regent's Canal shortly afterwards, dismembered in the same way as Melissa's, with her head and hands missing.
Upon his arrest, police found violent and unsettling artwork in Sweeney's London flat. This is said to contain sketches of tied up women, and one of a woman believed to be Melissa. One area had been covered with correction fluid, but experts managed to uncover writing underneath, reading "Melissa Halstead, born 7 November 1956. Died."
Sweeney has never revealed the whereabouts of Melissa or Paula's missing body parts (their heads and hands were never recovered,) and he remains in prison without the chance for parole.
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