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Murder of Mary-Ann Leneghan

SOLVED2005Prospect Park, Reading, Berkshire, UK3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

In the early hours of 7 May 2005, 16-year-old Mary-Ann Leneghan was stabbed to death in Prospect Park, Reading, Berkshire. The previous evening, Leneghan and an 18-year-old friend had been kidnapped from a disused pub, the Wallingford Arms, by a group of six men led by Adrian "Redz" Thomas, a drug dealer from Battersea. The men — Thomas, Michael Johnson, brothers Joshua and Jamaile Morally, Indrit Krasniqi, and Llewellyn Adams — forced the girls into the boot of a car and drove them to the Abbey House Hotel in West Reading, where they were raped, drugged, scalded, and beaten over several hours.

Thomas believed Leneghan or her friend had set him up for an earlier robbery and assault at a flat he had rented in Reading, during which he was robbed and stabbed. An arson attack on the friend's home in the weeks before the kidnapping was later investigated for links to the case.

Between 03:00 and 05:00 on 7 May, the girls were driven around Reading before being taken to Prospect Park. There, Leneghan was fatally stabbed. Her friend was also stabbed and shot in the head but survived. After regaining consciousness, the friend made her way to a nearby road, where a member of the public called emergency services. Leneghan is reported to have died a short time before police arrived.

Following the attack, several suspects were arrested, including Jamaile Morally, who turned himself in to police, and Thomas, who was arrested by armed officers in Birmingham. A hotel night manager identified Thomas in an identity parade. Eight people were arrested in total in connection with the case.

The trial of six men began at Reading Crown Court in January 2006. All were charged with murder, attempted murder, multiple counts of rape, kidnapping, and assault. During the trial, Johnson admitted to murder, attempted murder, and kidnap; Leneghan's friend identified him as the killer. On 17 March 2006, all six men were convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, and other related offences, with some cleared of rape charges. All received life sentences with minimum terms ranging from 23 to 27 years. The judge recommended that Krasniqi, a Kosovan refugee, be deported upon release.

In 2010, Krasniqi was convicted of a separate assault on a fellow inmate at HM Prison Wakefield and received an additional life sentence. Leneghan's funeral was held in July 2005, and a memorial garden was later established in her memory in Southcote, Reading.

Key facts

Victims
Mary-Ann Leneghan
Date
2005
Location
Prospect Park, Reading, Berkshire, UK
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2005-04

    Adrian Thomas is assaulted and robbed at a rented flat in Reading; he blames Leneghan or her friend for setting him up.

  2. 2005-05-06

    Mary-Ann Leneghan and her 18-year-old friend are kidnapped from the disused Wallingford Arms pub in Reading and taken to the Abbey House Hotel, where they are raped, drugged, scalded, and beaten.

  3. 2005-05-07

    Leneghan is stabbed to death in Prospect Park, Reading; her friend is stabbed and shot in the head but survives.

  4. 2005-05-11

    Adrian Thomas is arrested in Birmingham by armed officers.

  5. 2005-05-13

    A total of eight people have been arrested in connection with the murder.

  6. 2005-05-17

    Michael Johnson hands himself in to Battersea Police Station.

  7. 2005-06-01

    Leneghan's friend is discharged from hospital after being held under police guard.

  8. 2005-07-22

    Mary-Ann Leneghan's funeral takes place at Christ Church in Reading; she is buried at Henley Road Cemetery.

  9. 2006-01-13

    Trial of six men begins at Reading Crown Court.

  10. 2006-02-09

    Michael Johnson admits to murder, attempted murder, and kidnap.

  11. 2006-03-17

    Thomas, the Morally brothers, Johnson, Adams, and Krasniqi are convicted of murder and related offences.

  12. 2006-04-28

    All six men are sentenced to life imprisonment with minimum terms ranging from 23 to 27 years.

  13. 2010-05-07

    Indrit Krasniqi and two other prisoners attack inmate Radislav Krstić at HM Prison Wakefield.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Llewellyn Adams

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder, attempted murder, and kidnap (cleared of rape and assault); sentenced to life imprisonment

  • Michael Johnson

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment

  • Indrit Krasniqi

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, and assault (cleared of rape); sentenced to life imprisonment with recommendation for deportation on release

  • Joshua Morally

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment

  • Jamaile Morally

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment

  • Adrian Thomas

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment

  • Mary-Ann Leneghan

    VICTIM

    16-year-old victim, kidnapped, raped, and murdered on 7 May 2005

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Prospect Park, Reading, Berkshire, UK

51.4543, -0.9781

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 7 May 2005, 16-year-old Mary-Ann Leneghan was kidnapped, raped, and stabbed to death in Prospect Park, Reading, after hours of assault at a local hotel; her 18-year-old friend was shot in the head but survived. Six men were later convicted and given life sentences.
Where did the murder happen?
Prospect Park, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
Who was convicted?
Llewellyn Adams (Convicted of murder, attempted murder, and kidnap (cleared of rape and assault); sentenced to life imprisonment), Michael Johnson (Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment), Indrit Krasniqi (Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, and assault (cleared of rape); sentenced to life imprisonment with recommendation for deportation on release), Joshua Morally (Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment), Jamaile Morally (Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment), and Adrian Thomas (Convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, assault, and rape; sentenced to life imprisonment).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
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Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Mary-Ann LeneghanWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026