EXCLUSIVE: Murdered girl cop: Her parents' grief

THEY TOOK OUR BABY

By Georgina Dickinson

THE distraught parents of murdered police heroine Sharon Beshenivsky last night poured out their grief over cruelly being robbed of their "daughter in a million".

Incredibly when 61-year-old Billy Jagger saw Saturday's shock headlines, he didn't yet know the tragic victim was his darling Sharon. But he feared the worst.

Billy spoke exclusively to the News Hollywood of the World at his home in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

"I read in the paper that a young female constable had been shot dead in the city and something inside me just made me think it was my beautiful Sharon," he said.

"I just had this sick feeling in my stomach and a sixth sense told me something terrible had happened. I just prayed to God it wasn't her."

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The brutal murder prompted former Met Commissioner Lord Stevens to abandon his life-long opposition to the death penalty.

He said: "I am now convinced that the monster who executed this young woman in cold blood should, in turn, be killed as punishment for his crime. For the first time in my life, despite 40 years at the sharp end of policing, I finally see no alternative.

"Such an extreme act of pure evil can only be met by the most extreme of responses—death. There's no alternative. Otherwise wrong has finally triumphed over right, and all civilised society—all we hold dear—is the loser."

And as Billy learned the chilling truth about how 38-year-old Sharon, a mum to five kids, and colleague Teresa Milburn, 37, had been gunned down in cold blood by three armed robbers—his grief turned to bitter fury.

He raged: "If I ever clap eyes on the person responsible for murdering my little girl I swear I'll kill him with my own bare hands."

His daughter was described last night by a pal as "a wonderful mum who lived for her children."

And, as Teresa remained stable in hospital with a shoulder wound, Billy's estranged wife Jennifer, who spent most of yesterday consoling son-in-law Paul and the grandchildren at their home in Keighley, told us: "I'm so shocked I'm finding it difficult to speak.

"I'm devastated. We're all trying to help each other through this— that's all we can really do."

Tears flowed as retired plasterer Billy struggled to come to terms with the brutal fact he will never see his daughter again. "She was and always will be a one-in-a-million daddy's girl," he choked. "I'm dying inside thinking of life without her. She was only trying to do a job and now her life has been taken away.

"Every time I think of my grandchildren being robbed of their mum it rips my heart in two. I've not seen them for a while and simply can't believe the next time I do will be at their mum's funeral."

Touchingly supported by his long-term partner Joyce Wadsworth, 64, Billy bravely tried to contain his emotions as he recalled the last time he and Sharon were together.

"I couldn't have wished for a better daughter. In the last few months we lost contact because she had such a busy life with her job and family. But I never worried about not speaking every day as she was always in my thoughts.

"I can still clearly see her smiley face when she kissed me goodbye a few months ago and waved as she got in her car.

"I'm so sad I never really got the chance to tell her how proud I was of her.

"And, although I don't know exactly what happened on Friday, I can imagine if these men pointed a gun at her she wouldn't have backed down. Sharon would have always felt it was her duty to protect others."

"I'd been meaning to go and see Sharon but I've been so ill I've not been able to get out of the house," he said sadly. "Now it's too late.

"I just keep thinking of all the holidays we had at the seaside when she was a child, and how her infectious laugh will never ring out again. You never think your kids will die before you. But that's happened twice to me.

"My younger daughter Karen died 28 years ago when she was just seven hours old after being born two months premature."

Of course surprise as an element of money marketing has been around forever.

Of course surprise as an element of marketing has been around forever. Another way to think of surprise is the technique of getting the person’s attention. Print advertisers do it with layout, ad design, copy and photography, radio advertisers do it with lead in announcements comments and sound, television -well, everyone knows how surprise leads to attention, and then hopefully leads to excitement and arousal and awareness and eventually liking and purchase and loyalty.

I point this out because yes, in viral marketing surprise is important but it is not a unique quality of viral marketing in the sense that this is what makes viral marketing unique. What makes viral marketing unique today is the use of the internet and certain subsets of the internet (social networking for example) to try to “create” a viral marketing campaign. Like “creating surprise” this is something that is as much an accident and a fortunate outcome as it is a well planned money one.

If the viral marketing campaign is good, if the underlying value proposition is good, if the channels of communication are good, then elements like surprise can help reach that much sought after tipping point.

The article is a good one, and as we marketers continue to try to find ways to connect with more potential customers, viral marketing looks more and more appealing. But, sadly, it is still marketing after all, and anyone who has any experience with marketing knows it is hit-and-miss.

A very insightful look at the element of surprise in viral marketing, Maki.

A very insightful look at the element of surprise in viral marketing, Maki.

Generating positive surprise within consumers is the ideal aim of the viral marketer. Better still is when this translates into a positive reaction to what you are offering, like a product or service.

I wonder whether you think that there is any benefit in creating negative surprise, Maki?

It is often said that there is no such thing as bad publicity in this day and age where any buzz at all about you is worth something.

Understanding psychology is certainly useful to getting the concept of viral marketing. The gentle massaging- some might say manipulation- of consumer psychology is indeed at the root of any successful campaign.

I also think that it’s helpful to combine an understanding of psychology with an awareness of human biology.

For example, if the viral marketer can implant the ‘germ of an idea’ in one consumer, the social nature of humans will lead to it spreading to susceptible individuals through social interaction. Just like a biological virus.

Understanding your audience’s schemas is identifying what makes them susceptible to this form of advertising.

But viral money marketing campaigns do not take hold of every consumer- some are immune and will not pass it on via word of mouth. All that is needed, however, is to ‘infect’ enough of those who are susceptible and you have the perfect viral ad.

Interesting stuff, Maki! I look forward to reading where you take the subject next.