Alison Oakley was a young woman who was picked up by Brian Tilsley while on a night out with her friends at Mahoney's Bar in February 1989. Fresh from an argument with wife Gail, Brian was out to forget his troubles. After dancing with Alison for a while, Brian went off to call a taxi to take them to hers, although Alison was unsure about doing so as she lived with her parents. Moments later, three men rounded on Alison and began assaulting her. Her call for help was heard by Brian, who ran back over and entered the fray in an valiant attempt to protect Alison. However, his opponents quickly gained the upper hand, with their ringleader Darren Whateley reaching for a knife stabbing him, after which the men ran off. A shell-shocked Alison remained motionless as Brian slumped to the ground, h