Delia Balmer's Story: Her Miraculous Survival Of John Sweeney

40 year-old Delia Balmer was living and working in London in 1991. One night at the pub, she would meet a man who would forever change her life.

John Sweeney was charming and helpful, but he was hiding a dark secret. Before he ever met Delia, he had murdered and dismembered two previous girlfriends.

He would try to do the same to Delia, but through intelligence and quick wit, she escaped with her life.

Two other victims – and maybe more – would not be so lucky.

The perpetrator would become known as “The Scalp Hunter” and “The Canal Killer,” but at the heart of this story are the three women – and maybe more – who had their lives stolen by murderer John Sweeney.

A graphic image featuring a rusty axe with a weathered wooden handle centered against a neutral background. Above the axe, the name 'Delia Balmer' is written in elegant cursive script. Below the axe, in bold capital letters, the phrase 'SURVIVING JOHN SWEENEY' stretches across, indicating a story of survival. The caption 'LONDON DARK TOURIST' suggests a focus on darker historical narratives related to the city.

***TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains graphic violence, domestic abuse, stalking, and murder. ***

I will not share images of the killer in this article, but if you want to see the sadistic man you can view images of him here.

Melissa Halstead: London, 1986

A composite image showing two portraits of Melissa Halstead. On the left, a color photograph of a young woman with her hair swept to the side, holding an ice pop, wearing a yellow tank top and a black choker necklace. She gazes to the side with a thoughtful expression. On the right, a black and white portrait of the same woman, this time her gaze is more direct, and she has a soft, contemplative look. Her hair is styled in curls that frame her face. Between the two images, the name 'Melissa Halstead' is written in elegant, flowing script, suggesting a focus on her life story.

In 1986, model and photographer Melissa Halstead was working on a set in London.

Incredibly beautiful and creative, Melissa was making a name for herself from both behind and in front of the camera. But being far from home, and without a support network around her, she was lonely.

She befriended the carpenter on the set – Liverpudian John Sweeney. He seemed personable, and was also an artist alongside his day job. The two would have had a bit in common, but Melissa was deeply vulnerable as a stranger in a foreign land.

They struck up a relationship, and though at first he swept her off her feet, soon the rug was pulled out from under her.

What Melissa didn’t know about John Sweeney was that he was in London because he was well known to police in his hometown of Skelmersdale, near Liverpool.

He was divorced from his ex-wife, after being caught by police popping out of her closet with an ax. He had violently abused her for years, but his ex-wife – like his future victim Delia Balmer – miraculously survived Sweeney’s wrath.

Melissa would not be so lucky.

By 1987, he had been interviewed by police for two separate violent assaults on Melissa. But nothing was done by British police. He was fined, but never taken into custody.

Melissa Halstead & John Sweeney Move to Austria, 1988

A graphic with a map of Europe overlaid with bold black arrows and red stars marking significant locations in the story of Melissa Halstead and her killer, John Sweeney. The arrows suggest a path or journey across multiple countries, including the Netherlands and Austria. In the top left corner, there is an inset black and white photo of a woman, presumably Melissa Halstead, with a thoughtful expression. The title 'Melissa & Her Killer' is written in flowing script, indicating a personal and tragic tale.

In the summer of 1988, the couple moved to Vienna after her work Visa expired. But soon the abuse started in Austria, too.

There were smaller assaults where Melissa was hurt. But they were only a harbinger of more violent abuse to come.

After a particularly nasty row, John Sweeney hit her over the head with a hammer. She was rushed to hospital with a fractured skull requiring emergency surgery, but survived.

Sweeney was taken into custody, where he stewed in his cell, creating graphic artwork depicting the murder of Melissa.

“A Romantic Weekend for two in Austria” was his most chilling work, depicting a woman being stabbed.

Melissa, unaware of his depraved artworks and still under the monstrous spell of her abuser, petitioned the Austrian courts in February 1989 to grant clemency to John.

He was released and ordered to leave Austria, and the couple left the country and moved to the Netherlands.

Amsterdam, 1989

Press play to listen to the voicemail Melissa left her mother for the last time.

On 2 November, 1989, Melissa Halstead phoned her mother’s home in Ohio for the last time.

She left a birthday message for her mum on the answering machine, but they didn’t get the chance to speak.

It was the last time her family would hear her voice before she disappeared forever.

Rotterdam, 1990 (50 Miles from Amsterdam)

A tranquil scene of the Westersingel Canal in Rotterdam, where Melissa Halstead's body was found floating in several carryall bags. Captured on a sunny day, lush green trees line the canal, their leaves vibrant against the blue sky scattered with wispy clouds. A fountain shoots water high into the air, creating a focal point in the distance. In the foreground, a person is seen sitting by the water's edge, enjoying the peaceful setting. The words 'Rotterdam Westersingel Canal' are elegantly scripted over the image

On May 3, 1990, a passerby spotted a black duffle bag on the banks of the Westersingel Canal in Rotterdam.

Inside was the headless torso of a woman tied up with rope. Her body was dismembered with her head and hands missing. Since there were no fingerprints or dental records to be found, police had a hard time identifying the woman.

It would be 18 years – after the development of DNA technology – that the body would finally be identified as Melissa Halstead.

All that time, her poor family had no idea what had happened to her. The waiting and the unknown must have been torturous.

Little did they know that she was dead, and her killer was still on the loose.

Delia Balmer: London, 1991

An image of The Hawley Arms, a notable pub located in Camden. This is where Delia Balmer first encountered murderer John Sweeney. The building is distinguished by its deep burgundy facade and traditional pub signage. The photo captures the essence of a typical London public house, with its arched windows and doors. The handwritten-style caption 'The Hawley Arms, Camden' overlays the image, suggesting the establishment's relevance and setting.

One year after Melissa’s murder, 40 year old nurse Delia Balmer met 36 year-old John Sweeney in a local pub in Camden, North London.

The interaction was pleasant enough, but nothing came of it.

Weeks later, they bumped into each other on the street. Sweeney asked her out, but she initially said no. This was likely her gut instinct, which she would regret not listening to.

Later she would retract, and accept Sweeney’s advances.

“I wrote him a letter…and started something I should not have started,” she recalled.

Murderer John Sweeney Moves In

Image of Delia Balmer, the only known survivor of murderer John Sweeney. She is now an older woman with short sandy blonde hair cut short and stares purposefully at the camera.

Sweeney was working as a casual laborer and was living in a squat. He wasted no time making himself useful around Delia’s house.

He built her new furniture, replaced her kitchen cupboards, and quickly made himself a permanent fixture in her flat. But his temper and anger flared up often.

“I wanted to get rid of him, but I was afraid to ask,” Balmer said.

But in December 1993 – after more than two years of this abusive man living in her home and taking advantage of her – she built up the courage to end it.

She asked Sweeney to leave. He agreed, but kept procrastinating. He was obsessed with controlling Delia.

He wouldn’t leave her alone – she couldn’t go to the pub without him. She couldn’t go to the shops without him. He dominated every aspect of her life, and it was slowly killing her.

May 1994: Delia Held Hostage

John Sweeney's artwork depicts a silhouette of a couple in a dark, red hue against a black background with a full yellow moon. The man raises a knife as he holds the woman by the throat. There's a speech bubble with the text 'A romantic weekend for two in Austria,' hinting at John's murder of Melissa Halstead. — The depraved artwork of John Sweeney’s murder of Melissa Halstead.

In the spring of 1994, Delia managed to leave the house without him, and escaped with a friend for the day. But when she returned, Sweeney let his rage explode.

He tied her to the bed and threatened her with a gun and a knife, warning her that if she screamed, he would cut her tongue out.

But it was Sweeney’s tongue that was loose, because in his rageful state, he began spilling the gruesome details about what happened to Melissa Halstead.

“We had a room in Amsterdam. I went in. There were two Germans there with her. I killed them all. I didn’t know what to do with the bodies. I sat with them for 3 days. On the third day I cut them up, and I put them in bags and I threw them in the canal.”

Delia was petrified. Not only did she now know the truth about the man who had been terrorizing her, but she knew his deepest, darkest secrets. He now had every reason to kill her.

Delia did everything she could to stay alive. She didn’t dare anger him any further, and her patience and bravery worked. He finally released her after 7 days, and allowed her to go back to work.

“He was very quick, and if I had tried anything, I probably would have ended up cut up,” she recalled.

July 1994: Delia Balmer Seeks Help

From the time of her captivity through mid-summer, Sweeney continually terrorized Delia. He would leave for days, then return and the abuse would start all over again.

Delia finally felt safe and courageous enough to seek help from a women’s refuge. Police escorted her home while Sweeney was out.

She told them everything: Melissa’s murder, the two Germans, the bags in the canal, and tried to show them Sweeney’s macabre artwork.

They didn’t listen. The London police were absolutely no help.

Friday, 11 November 1994: Delia’s Second and Third Attacks

During another one of Sweeney’s brief absences, Delia quickly changed the locks. When he returned to her flat, he became enraged. He broke in.

In a surprise ambush, he rammed his fingers down her throat so hard that blood began pouring from her mouth. Sweeney nearly ripped out her tongue. He once again held her captive.

The next day, she managed to escape and went to the police. Once again, the police were useless.

They escorted her home, but Sweeney wasn’t there, and they did absolutely nothing to protect her.

The next day, Sweeney ambushed her at the door and forced her back into the flat, continuing his torture and holding her captive once again.

The following day Delia missed an appointment with a friend, and the friend altered the police.

The police came knocking at her door. Opening the door with Sweeney behind her, Delia took the opportunity to scream and escape.

Upon searching the flat after detaining Sweeney, police found a hidden bag containing a tarpaulin, masking tape, surgical gloves, and rope.

It was Sweeney’s murder kit, hidden in the house of his victim.

Sweeney Released

Only a week later after his series of vicious attacks on Delia, Sweeney was inexplicably released on the condition he returned north to his parent’s home in Skelmersdale.

Police did nothing to ensure he actually complied. Only a few weeks later, he broke his bail conditions and continued stalking Delia.

December 22, 1994: The Final Near-Fatal Attack on Delia Balmer

A row of terraced houses on a sunny day, representing the location similar to where Delia Balmer survived a near-fatal attack. The focus is on one particular house with white windows, a bay window on the left, and a small porch over the front door, marked with the number 7. A neatly trimmed hedge lines the front garden, bordered by a low brick wall and a black iron gate.

On the dark evening of December 22, 1994, Delia returned home from work at the hospital on her bike.

She propped open her front door with a brick – her usual procedure – and went back down the walkway to collect her bike.

She was terrified and paranoid, as she had no way of knowing that Sweeney wasn’t hiding in the dark.

He was. Upon spying his terrifying face, she did a miraculous bit of quick thinking: she kicked the brick that was holding open the door, ensuring that Sweeney couldn’t drag her inside.

This small action likely saved her life.

“I’ve got to face him out here,” she thought. “If he gets me inside, he’s going to cut me to bits.”

Sweeney swung an ax, which hit Delia in the arms. He then grabbed a knife. Stabbing her in the breast and thigh, he then swung the ax again and chopped off her finger.

Delia’s lung was punctured and she couldn’t scream, but another bit of quick thinking saved her life.

Delia threw her bike on top of herself to provide some kind of protection. The ax struck the bike, making a loud clanging sound that alerted her neighbors.

The neighbor beat Sweeney with a baseball bat, and the murderer escaped once again.

Delia was rushed to hospital. She had two broken arms, stab wounds all over her body, a punctured lung, and a severed finger.

Delia Balmer’s Miraculous Survival

After being tortured and nearly killed by her vicious attacker, Delia was low.

“I wasn’t fighting for my life – the medical lot were fighting for my life. I wanted to die. I didn’t care anymore. I wanted to be dead,” she said.

But she did survive, though with many emotional and physical scars.

Sweeney, however, also escaped with his life. He went on the run, and it would be six years before his whereabouts were known again.

He would write to police while on the run, taunting the cops and his victims with a letter that proclaimed Delia’s attack was an “axe-iddent.”

Paula Fields: London, 2000

A pair of personal photographs of Paula Fields. On the left, a woman is seen smiling as she holds a baby, both appearing happy and content in a domestic setting. On the right, the same woman is cooking, playfully tasting the food with a spoon, exuding a sense of joy and normalcy. The name 'Paula Fields' is written in elegant script at the top, personalizing the images.

Paula Fields was a beautiful, smart and kind 31 year-old from the Liverpool area.

She had a happy life and a loving family in the north and had three children. But as addiction took a grip on her, she moved to London and away from her family.

She was not at a great place in her life – she was fighting addictions, poverty, and was surviving by performing sex work. She was extremely vulnerable because of both her job and her drug dependencies.

Little did she know, murderer John Sweeney was also walking the streets of London, and their encounter would prove fatal.

Paula Fields Meets Murderer John Sweeney

After 6 years on the run, the 44 year old murderer John Sweeney returned to London with a new name. “Joe Scouse”, “Scouse Joe,” and “Joe Johnson,” were just some of his aliases.

He was also adept at changing his physical appearance, and working under false identities in cash-paying jobs.

Not much is known about how Paula Fields came into contact with John Sweeney, but pretty much as soon as they met they formed some sort of relationship.

This likely followed the pattern Sweeney performed before: find a vulnerable woman not originally from London, get her to rely on him, then slowly abuse and torture his victim.

December, 2000: Paula Fields is Murdered

Sweeney has never revealed the details about what led to the murder of his final known victim. But we can surmise that Sweeney flew into a fit of rage and brutally murdered Paula.

He then dismembered her, removing her head, hands, and feet. He placed some of her body parts in bags and threw them in Regent’s Canal near King’s Cross Station in North London.

February 19, 2001: Paula’s Remains are Found

A serene photograph of Regent's Canal at the Battlebridge Basin area in London, featuring a clear blue sky and calm water. This area was not always tranquil - it is where Paula Field's body parts were found floating in carryall bags back in the 1990s. Houseboats are moored along the bank, which is bordered by a mix of residential buildings and modern architecture. Lush green trees add a touch of nature to the urban environment. The script over the image reads 'Regent's Canal Battlebridge Basin Area,' conveying the location's name.

It would be two months before the bags containing Paula’s remains would be found in the canal. Boys out fishing caught one of the bags, and alerted the police.

Five more bags containing Paula’s dismembered remains were pulled from the canal.

Like Melissa Halstead, her hands and head have never been found.

The Murder Enquiry Against “Scouse Joe”

The Metropolitan Police opened a murder enquiry and quickly identified Paula’s body by DNA.

Interviewing her friends, they ascertained that she was in a relationship with a man called “Scouse Joe” or “Joe Scouse,” and it didn’t take long for them to figure out that he and Sweeney were one and the same.

Surveillance was alerted, and all cameras in London were on the lookout for John Sweeney.

Sweeney Gets Nicked

Sweeney was finally caught a month later, entering a building site off Fleet Street. When he was arrested, he had a gun and a knife on his person.

Police seized over 300 pieces of his artwork and poems, which depicted the gruesome murders he had committed.

In his artwork was a macabre message to Delia Balmer, in both written words and in a gruesome drawing.

Proving Paula Fields’ Murder

Sweeney was charged and sentenced for his crimes against Delia. But those charges only carried a 9 year custodial sentence, so police needed more to put him away for life: they needed to prove his murder of Paula.

The trouble? There was very little evidence connecting him to the murder, and Sweeney wasn’t talking.

But out of the blue, the detectives received a call from a Dutch policeman about the body in the Rotterdam canal. The two murders were remarkably similar.

Delia’s Evidence Plus DNA

With advances in DNA technology since Melissa’s body was found 20 years earlier, blood was finally matched. Melissa Halstead was formally identified.

This must have been a relief for her family, but also devastating confirmation of what they already surmised: that abusive John Sweeney killed his then-girlfriend.

Combined with Delia’s evidence of Sweeney’s confession to her, plus the similarities between the injuries to Melissa and Paula’s bodies, there was enough to make Sweeney the prime suspect in Melissa’s murder.

But Melissa disappeared 20 years earlier, so they needed more concrete evidence against Sweeney.

As it turns out, what they needed was right in their files.

Sweeney’s Artwork Gives Him Away

A colorful, detailed drawing filled with various objects and a central image of a woman's face with flowing hair and sunglasses. The artwork, titled 'One Man Band,' is reminiscent of a collage with an array of items including playing cards, a telephone, and branded products. The chaotic assembly of images creates a lively yet enigmatic atmosphere. Notably, an arrow points to a small detail within the piece, suggesting a hidden clue or significance. — “One Man Band,” with a black arrow pointing to the spot that was covered with White-Out.

In a drawing called “One Man Band,” there was a conspicuous spot of white correction fluid covering a space near the blonde subject’s head. Using scientific analysis, they were able to read beneath the fluid.

It read: “RIP Melissa Halstead”, with her date of birth and date of death.

Two more drawings – that each resembled the dismembered corpses of Melissa and Paula – further assured them Sweeney was their man.

A psychopathic poem scrawled on the back of a ticket, however, was the most damning piece of evidence: it was akin to a confession.

I won’t repeat it here, because it’s horrible. But the police now had enough to put Sweeney away for life.

April 4, 2011: Murderer John Sweeney Found Guilty at the Old Bailey

On the stand, Sweeney protested that his artwork was “nonsense” and he was “stoned” while he drew them. But the evidence was plain.

Decades after his first murder, John Sweeney was finally convicted and sentenced to a whole life tariff. He will never be released from prison.

Remembering Melissa Halstead, Paula Fields, and Delia Balmer

A heartfelt tribute with a split-screen black and white photograph of two women. On the left, an image of Melissa Halstead, who appears reflective and composed. On the right, a photo of Paula Fields, who seems candid and at ease. Both images are presented with respect and dignity, underscored by their names neatly labeled below their portraits. The overarching caption 'Remembering the Victims' is scripted elegantly across the top, conveying a message of remembrance and honor.

These three women endured unbelievable torture at the hands of a monstrous man. But in both life and death, they assisted each other.

Each case held clues to connect it to the others, and together, these three women helped put a sadistic man behind bars forever.

Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields, rest in peace knowing your attacker cannot hurt anyone else.

Delia Balmer, your courage in the face of absolute terror is an inspiration to victims of abuse everywhere.

Were There More Victims? Interpol’s “Operation Identify Me”

John Sweeney may have killed more victims, but unless witnesses come forward with more information, we will likely never know.

There are two separate appeals for information regarding other potential victims of Sweeney.

The first is Interpol’s “Operation Identify Me”, an effort to identify various victims found dead in Europe over the last 47 years.

The police suspect three of the Netherlands victims could be connected to Sweeney. They were all found in the water with their heads and hands removed.

A second local appeal for more information about Sweeney is from the Metropolitan Police.

After his sentencing in 2011, the Guardian reported:

“Detectives are appealing for information about three other women, about whom they only have sketchy information, who may also have been killed by him.

One is a trainee nurse called Sue, from Derbyshire, who was said to have left for Switzerland in the late 1970s or early 80s.

Two former girlfriends of Sweeney, a Brazilian known as Irani, and a Colombian called Maria, have not been seen since the late 1990s, when they knew Sweeney in north London.”

Delia Balmer’s Story of Survival

A split image with two sections. On the left, a book cover with a portrait of a young woman looking directly at the viewer, overlaid with the title 'LIVING WITH A SERIAL KILLER' in bold, red, splattered font, and 'Delia Balmer: My Story' beneath. The book poses a poignant question: 'How much can you ever really know someone?' On the right, an older woman with a calm expression stands before a canal with boats in the background, captioned 'Delia's Balmer's Story', signifying a personal narrative related to the book on the left.

In 2017, Delia released a memoir about her time with Sweeney and her remarkable survival: Living With a Serial Killer. Her story and strength are remarkable.

It was recently acquired by ITV, who are creating a limited drama series of her story. It has some big stars set to take the leads, and I hope they’ve done it with Delia’s permission and cooperation.

Her story deserves to be handled with the utmost care – it could possibly bring about more eyes on the victims yet unidentified.

Sources