True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

(Marilyn McKenna and Stuart Drury. Picture credit: bbc.co.uk) 

Continued from part one

Thank you for checking out part one of this case which I'm sure you will agree was quite an uncomfortable read but in this post it won't get that much easier as I continue to tell you Marilyn's story. The details are horrific and such that I have never gotten over reading them the first time I had come across this case. 

I mentioned in part one that I completely understood if you would like to skip over this case as it can be quite difficult to digest the details. I will try in this post to be as gentle as I can in explaining what happened but I will give you the truth as devastating as it is. 

As I mentioned before, I am going to be mentioning some pretty heavy themes to do with attempted suicide, domestic violence and murder in this post so please be aware. 

So let's continue....

Marilyn and the kids were enjoying the peace and quiet for the first time in a long time. Was this it? Was Stuart Drury finally out of their lives once and for all? Weeks went by and there was no sign of him and Marilyn couldn't have been happier until the day she found him on her doorstep out of the blue.

He said he just wanted to have a talk, to apologise properly for everything he had put her and the kids through. Rightly or wrongly she let him into the house and made him a cup of coffee, she may have felt it was safe because he knew the police were aware of him and he did disappear for a few weeks, maybe he had realised the error of his ways. At first, he seemed to be genuinely sorry for all that he had done and they had a civil conversation over coffee. The kids were in the house too but they stayed out of the way, they couldn't bare to be near him.

At some point during the conversation, Stuart grew tired of playing the nice guy and got straight to the point, he wanted Marilyn to take him back. Marilyn stayed strong and told him that she would never be with a man who was violent and she had no interest in starting a relationship back up with him. It was over as far as she was concerned and it was about time that he had left. Marilyn got up and just as she was about to walk towards the door to direct him out, Stuart pulled out a knife and cut his wrists and throat in front of her. The scene was utter chaos and Marilyn was hysterical, the children ran into the room and were horrified at what they saw. Again the police and an ambulance was called. 

This incident didn't stop Stuart from returning to the house and hiding in the bushes outside. All the police did was caution him to stay away from Marilyn but he never listened, it was an endless cycle of him showing up, Marilyn calling the police and nothing getting done about it. Marilyn was at her wits end. The phone was constantly ringing at all hours of the day and night and he would leave abusive messages on her answering machine. 

On one of the occasions that he was outside the house, Marilyn had called the police who managed to get there straight away and remove him but that didn't stop him making a reverse charge call to Marilyn's house, when she picked up the phone, she could hear him say over the operators voice ''You're dead''.

She was so terrified, she gathered the kids together and fled to a woman's refuge hostel in another part of the city. She was too scared to stay in the house with the kids. The hostel was known for being secure and safe but Stuart somehow found out where she was and started making phonecalls there. She had no choice but to leave.

Marilyn's relatives had offered her and the kids a place to stay but for some reason she just wanted to go home. Maybe it was an act of defiance against Stuart? 

When Marilyn and the kids returned to the house they found that the house had been turned completely upside down, it had been wrecked, windows had been smashed and there was excrement all over Marilyn's clothes and the walls. The answer machine was full of messages from Stuart:

''Pick up the phone you f*cking bitch, pick up the f*cking phone or you are a dead woman. You can't hide from me. You won't ever get away from me''. 

Marilyn kept a record of every incident and reported each one to the police, at least 64 different police officers had been to her house but nothing was ever done. Marilyn began to lose hope that she would ever get out of this situation. Stuart knew everything about her, in the two years that they had been together, he know her routine, where her friends and family lived, private and personal details about her, it was like there was no escape. 

As a break from the abusive answer machine messages, Marilyn began to leave the phone off the hook. The kids helped her board up the windows and clean the place up. She put extra locks on the front door but she still felt unsafe in her own home.

She called Aileen and poured her heart out to her on the phone, she said ''I've had to leave the phone off the hook because he's been calling me every 10 minutes. I'm going to be found in a pool of blood and then everybody will be paying attention''. 

Despite everything Marilyn still had some fight in her, she was becoming more angry that nothing was being done by the police to protect her and the kids. She hated Stuart having control of her life and was determined that she was not going to let him win. She told Aileen that she wanted to see her on Friday night and that she really needed to let her hair down after everything lately.

A few days later, Marilyn was putting on her makeup and trying to put Stuart Drury out of her mind. She was determined that he was not going to stop her living her life. That night, she was sitting in a bar with Aileen, having a few drinks and was having such a good time that she forgot about Stuart instead her attentions were drawn towards an attractive man that she saw watching her from the other side of the bar.

At first they were just staring at each other but he soon came over and offered to buy her and Aileen a drink. He seemed nice and the three of them had a laugh and continued to enjoy the night. Aileen could see that Marilyn and her new friend were getting on really well and she didn't want to play gooseberry. She told the pair that she was going home but whispered in Marilyn's ear that she wanted her to call her the next day and tell her everything. Aileen was excited for Marilyn and it was great to see that sparkle come back into her eyes again.

Marilyn and her male friend continued talking and having a few more drinks and when the bar was starting to close, Marilyn suggested they go back to her place for a coffee. It was quite a risky move for someone to make considering everything she had been through but there was something about this guy that she just connected to and she was determined to move on with her life. Maybe in the back of her mind she was hoping that if Stuart was watching, that he would see her with someone else and finally get the message? being with a man she may have felt more safe? who knows what was going through Marilyn's mind but the pair got in a taxi and headed to her place. The kids were at their grandparents house so they would have plenty of privacy there.

Back at Marilyn's she put on some music and opened up a bottle of wine, she was getting on well with this new guy but then there was a loud thud at the door. Her heart must have sank because sure enough, it was Stuart. She opened the door, probably thinking it would be safe because she had a man with her. Stuart created a scene, shouting and swearing, asking her what was going on and who was this guy?

The man had no idea what to do and was quite intimidated by Stuart. To be fair to him, he had just met Marilyn and didn't know the background of her situation with Stuart. The man put his jacket on and decided it would be best if he left. Marilyn ran out the door after the man and Stuart followed, continually shouting and swearing.

At some point, the three of them stopped at Abbeyhill street where the arguing continued. The man left, leaving Marilyn and Stuart continuing to argue. A witness who was up feeding her baby in the early hours of the 5th of September 1998, claimed that she could see from her kitchen window the events that unfolded which she has never been able to put out of her mind. 

''What the f*ck were you doing with him?'' shouted Stuart in a rage at Marilyn, to which she replied ''What do you think?''. Stuart pulled a claw hammer from his jacket and smashed Marilyn over the head with it. She tried to protect herself but her short and petite frame was no match for him as he was broad and six foot plus. She tried to protect herself but the blows rained down, he kept smashing her over the face and head. Pathologists later said that there had been 7 blows to the head and one even claimed that Marilyn's injuries had been the worst they had ever seen. 

Marilyn was slumped over on the ground, bleeding profusely but he didn't stop there, he crunched the hammer into her neck and ripped her jaw out. Lying there in a pool of her own blood and still clinging to life, the coward and monster known as Stuart Drury fled the scene. 

The witness at the window was hysterical and called the police and an ambulance who arrived at the scene very quickly. The scene was horrific, there was blood everywhere. The ambulance crew had to remove Marilyn's smashed teeth from her airways in order to help her breathe but it was clear that this poor woman was dying. There was pieces of Marilyn's skin, jaw, blood and teeth scattered about the road. She was rushed to hospital where doctors did all they could to save her but she sadly passed away.

It didn't take the police long to figure out who was responsible and in just a few hours, they were at Stuart Drury's door. He was still wearing the same clothes which were splattered with Marilyn's blood. As the police searched his flat they found a stack of photographs of Marilyn which had either been ripped apart or her face had been scratched out. They arrested him and took him to the police station where they found another picture of Marilyn in his pocket which had been slashed in two with a knife.

35 year old Stuart was convicted of Marilyn's murder but he tried to appeal and for the next couple of years he put her family through hell through the court system. He tried to drag Marilyn's name through the mud by telling the court that she slept around and that they were having a sexual relationship. 

He managed to have his father and a friend speak on his behalf and they claimed to have seen Marilyn and Stuart together in a romantic relationship right up to her death. Stuart tried to play the part of the man who had been done wrong, he claimed that he loved Marilyn and was broken hearted when he saw her with another man and just exploded. His lies didn't wash though and he was convicted a second time for the murder of Marilyn Mckenna.

After he was jailed, it came to light that he had been convicted two years before Marilyn's death for assaulting a woman. He had tried to strangle the woman to death and she was severely beaten in her flat in Glasgow and for this sickening act he was sentenced to just 60 days in prison. 

The fact that this monster had tried to kill a woman, been handed a pathetic sentence, went on to terrorise another woman (whilst the police did nothing) and then murdering her in the middle of the street in cold blood, makes me sick. 

I feel anger for this utter lack of justice in these cases. In the UK I am often sickened at the ridiculous sentences that are handed down to people who have done the most horrendous things. 

Marilyn was only 37 when she died at the evil hands of Stuart Drury. She was a wonderful mother and friend as well as an extremely hard worker. Her three children have to live with the nightmare of what happened to their mother and the horrible memories of Stuart Drury. I think of Aileen too and how difficult it must have been and is for her, she could never have seen it coming, she left her sister that night with a man who she thought may have protected her. I think about that man too and the guilt he must feel but how was he to know what the real story was, Stuart was very manipulative and could get around people. 

The story of Marilyn Mckenna should be known everywhere, this can happen to any man or woman and these situations need to be taken seriously by police especially with someone who already had a previous conviction for attempted murder.

This is a case that haunts me and if you have made it this far in the post, I thank you and I appreciate it. As devastating as this is, Marilyn Mckenna deserves to be remembered.

UPDATE (January 2020) The authorities have ruled that Stuart Drury is not fit for release as of this time and is to spend another two years in prison. Let's hope he stays there. 

Thanks as always for your support. I'll see you in the next post. If you would like to comment below about this case, please do. If you want to talk more about it, feel free to message me on any of my social media platforms or email me at: caledoniankblog@yahoo.co.uk

Domestic Abuse Helplines & Information:

- National Domestic Violence Helpline - Website 

- 24 Hour Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247

- Woman's Aid - Information & Support 

- Supportline - Website 

- Supportline: 01708 765200

- Supportline Email: info@supportline.org.uk 

Further Reading & Sources:

RIP Marilyn x 

(Marilyn Mckenna and Stuart Drury. Picture credit: bbc.co.uk) 

This is one of those cases that still haunts me to this day. It was first brought to my attention by my all time favourite True Crime author Reg McKay in his brilliant and spine chilling book Murder Capital: Life & Death On The Streets Of Glasgow 

I've covered and researched a lot of cases and each one has been harrowing but there's something about this one that turns the blood cold. The images that one conjures up about the hell that this poor woman went through really is the stuff of nightmares. 

Before I begin I have to warn you that the details in this case are very disturbing and I will be talking about attempted suicide, self harm, domestic violence and murder. Some of the details are very gruesome and quite difficult to put out of your mind once you have read about what happened. If you feel like this post would be too much for you then please click onto another one of my true crime posts.

Don't forget to check out my Kofi page if you enjoy my work, there you will also find my personal posts where I share bits and pieces of my life and private experiences, a lot of the content is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18 and to have access to my posts you need to sign up as a monthly subscriber. 

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Check out Reg Mckay's books on Amazon 

Let's begin...

This case takes place in the late 1990s in Carntyne which is a suburban district in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Marilyn Mckenna was a single mother of three children in her 30s who did everything she could for her kids, even working three jobs to help put food on the table. Her life was busy and at times very hard, it wasn't easy having to juggle three kids, three jobs and manage a house but she did it. She worked as hard as she could as an assistant in the local chip shop as well as working as a dinner lady and school auxiliary. 

There just never seemed to be enough hours in the day for Marilyn but on Friday night's she made sure that she did treat herself to a girl's night out with her best friend and sister, Aileen. Marilyn and Aileen shared an incredible bond and could tell each other everything. It had been a long time since Marilyn had been in a romantic relationship and because of what she had been through in the past she was very careful of getting into another relationship. With such a hectic, busy life and having three kids, she did wonder if there was a chance that she would be able to find someone who would treat her right but also take on the kids too.

Marilyn and Aileen nicknamed their Friday nights ''Stress Busters'', they would go out, sometimes with some of their other friends and they would have a dance, a chat about their week and have a few drinks. Marilyn didn't get much time to herself so these Friday night ''Stress Busters'' were the highlight of her week. She would feel so much better after spending Friday nights just letting her hair down with Aileen.

During one of their night's out, Marilyn mentioned a guy called Stuart who she was getting friendly with and according to Aileen, Marilyn's face lit up every time she talked about him. Over the next couple of weeks whenever Aileen saw Marilyn or spoke to her on the phone she was constantly talking about how amazing Stuart was. Aileen was excited for Marilyn, she thought that this was just what Marilyn needed after all the heartache, she was excited to meet him.

The romance with Stuart blossomed very quickly and he was like the perfect gentleman, he would cook dinner for her and the kids, he'd insist on doing the washing up and in time he would be looking after the kids whilst Marilyn was at work. The kids got on so well with him, he seemed like the perfect guy. After a long hard day at work, Marilyn would come home to find that Stuart had done all of the housework, sorted out the kids school stuff and had dinner on the table for her, she couldn't believe it.

Marilyn continued to brag to anyone who would listen that Stuart was amazing. The time came for her to introduce Stuart to Aileen and she took him along to one of their ''Stress Buster'' evenings. From the moment Aileen laid eyes on him, she disliked him. It may have seem a bit judgemental but there was something about Stuart that she couldn't put her finger on. She knew Marilyn was over the moon with him and that he had done a lot to help her but Aileen couldn't help but think if this guy was just too good to be true. 

For a start, he would not take his eyes off of Marilyn, that could be seen as a romantic thing but to Aileen it seemed more like he wanted to control her. He watched every move that she made like he was making sure that she wasn't looking at other men. His whole body language was creepy but Marilyn was oblivious and thought he was Mr prince charming. 

A few days later, Aileen was on the phone to Marilyn and tried to find out a bit more about Stuart but Marilyn said that he didn't like to talk about his past . When Marilyn mentioned asking Stuart to move in with her, Aileen tried to persuade her sister not to. It was all moving a bit too fast, she suggested they get to know each other more before making any drastic decisions. Marilyn had made her mind up though, she wanted Stuart to move in. Aileen loved her sister and didn't want to fall out with her so she had to respect her decision and hope for the best, at the end of the day all she wanted was for Marilyn and the kids to be happy and if Stuart Drury was treating them properly, that's all that mattered.

With work and Stuart taking up most of her time, Marilyn reassured Aileen that their nights out on a Friday would continue no matter what. As the weeks went by, Aileen began to notice the sparkle in Marilyn's eyes begin to dim a little and the smile begin to fade. Marilyn would say that she was fine and that things were still going well but she had some things on her mind about Stuart. She told Aileen that Stuart had a very high sex drive and at first that was exciting but he wanted more and more. After a long day at work, she was exhausted but Stuart expected sex and on the days that she had off, he would want sex three or four times a day. If she said she was too tired, he would go into a sulk and accuse her of not finding him attractive or that she was seeing someone behind his back at one of her jobs.

The sex began to be a lot more violent, instead of tender lovemaking like before, Stuart was rough and Marilyn didn't enjoy that at all, she felt like it was forced, almost like rape. She'd find herself having to go along with things so that he wouldn't go in a bad mood. 

Aileen was waiting for Stuart to start showing his true colours, the honeymoon period was over and now that he had gotten his claws into Marilyn and moved himself into her house, he was starting to feel comfortable, so comfortable that he was starting to demand things from her. 

Stuart knew everything about Marilyn's life, she opened up to him about her past, her fears, her dreams and he knew her daily routine. He was very manipulative and knew the right words to say to gain her trust. For someone who was careful with her heart, she let her guard down with Stuart because she felt that he was different from all the other guys. 

Things began to take a more sinister turn one night when she got home from work after a really stressful day. All she wanted was a cup of tea, a nice warm bath and an early night, Stuart had other ideas. He demanded sex and when she refused, he erupted in a rage, smashing ornaments and accusing her of sleeping with other people. She told him he was being ridiculous and that she was exhausted, that if he had to work three jobs he would feel the same. The pair began to argue and the noise woke up the children. Stuart was acting like a madman and when Marilyn told him to calm down he punched her so hard in the face, he shattered her nose and her body was sent flying into a wall, there was blood everywhere and she was in shock. The kids were hysterical.

The police were called and Stuart was ordered to pay £400 in compensation. He was told to stay away from Marilyn and for the next few weeks she didn't see or hear a word from him and it was bliss. She'd had enough of his jealous rages and breaking her nose was the final straw, she realised he wasn't the man that she thought he was. She started to focus on putting her life back together making a fresh start for her and the kids but Stuart Drury wasn't about to let that happen.

Continued in part two