Monster who murdered girl, 16, before dumping body in woodland died in horror crash after prison release, inquest told
A MONSTER who murdered a 16-year-old girl before dumping her body in woodland died in a horror crash after his jail release, an inquest heard.
Thomas Purcell, 36, was convicted of killing Megan McAlorum in 2004 after giving her a lift from a takeaway shop.
The schoolgirl was discovered in woodland in Belfast with 54 skull fractures.
Purcell was locked up for life but released in 2021 after serving 15 years in prison.
An inquest heard the monster was driving in Oxford on March 4 when he lost control of his MG ZS and smashed into an oncoming van.
He was taken to hospital but his life support was switched off ten days later.
Oxford Coroner’s Court was told he suffered “multiple severe injuries” and may have been severely disabled if he recovered.
Area coroner Nicholas Graham ruled his death as a road traffic collision.
He said Purcell may have been “fatigued or distracted” at the time of the horror.
The killer was just 16 when he battered Megan to death on Easter Sunday 2004 as she made her way home from a night out.
He then made his way to a hospital where he pretended to have chest pains to give himself an alibi.
Callous Purcell dumped the teen’s body in a ditch before ringing police to claim he had discovered her semi-naked.
He later pleaded guilty to murder, telling a psychologist: “I met the girl, we had sex, I got angry and killed her that’s all.”
Purcell had a string of previous convictions – including robbery, common assault, harassment and driving offences.
In July 2002 – two years before murdering Megan – he caused 250,000 of damage to a pavilion at Sir Richard Branson‘s country home in Oxford.
Speaking about her sister’s death on documentary Britain’s Deadliest Kids, Lynne McAlorum recalled when she discovered Megan had died.
She said: “There were two police officers, and my mum was sat there. They just said, ‘it’s your daughter.’
“That was very hard. It was unbelievable, seeing my mum and dad. My family was just never the same afterwards.”