Josie still angry about mistakes which led to double murder

Nov 17 2006 Liverpool Daily Post

A TEENAGER who survived a vicious hammer attack that killed her mother and sister said she hoped people can "learn" from mistakes made in the case.

Josie Russell, who was just nine when she was left for dead in the Kent countryside, said she was still angry about the murders 10 years on.

But as she collected an award marking her work helping to free animals from captivity, she also spoke of her hope for the future and determination to move on.

Josie, her six-year-old sister Megan and her mother Lin, were attacked in July 1996 as they walked home from a swimming gala in Chillenden, near Canterbury.

Despite parts of her skull being smashed she fought her way to a remarkable recovery.

Michael Stone, an unemployed drug addict, was convicted of the murders of Lin and Megan, and attempted murder of Josie, in 1998.

He was granted a retrial in 2001 following a successful appeal but was again convicted on all three counts. He lost a second appeal in 2005.

A report released earlier this year highlighted "significant failings" in the services that dealt with Stone, who had a history of mental disorder, drug abuse and violence.

Asked if she found it hard to understand why someone like Stone was not more closely monitored, she told ITV News: "He shouldn't have done that in the first place.

"I hope others can learnfrom mistakes (in his case)."

She added that she thought her mother would have been proud of her work for the Born Free Foundation and said she felt positive about the future.

"I want to do a lot more work with animals," she said.

The 19-year-old was attending the CosmoGIRL! of the Year Awards where she won the Campaigner category for her work with the wildlife charity, which she first got involved with two years after the attack.

Josie, who has recently returned from helping to release three circus lions to a reserve in South Africa, collected the honour during a short ceremony held at the Hard Rock Cafe in London.

In an interview with CosmoGIRL!

Josie, who has just started studying design at university, said: "Being an ambassador for Born Free has made me feel I'm using something negative that happened to me to do something positive."