She told police. She told the courts. She told her sister exactly how it would end. Two days later, it did.
The Relationship
In 1998, Marilyn McKenna, 37, a single mother of three in Glasgow, Scotland, began a relationship with Stuart Drury, 35. The relationship turned controlling within months, and when McKenna asked Drury to move out around the six-month mark, he responded violently, breaking her nose. She pressed charges, but he received only a modest fine.
Escalating Stalking
Drury began stalking McKenna following the breakup, including an incident in which he threatened self-harm with a knife at her workplace in front of employees, resulting in a charge of breaching the peace. He accused her, without basis, of having an affair with a coworker who occasionally drove her home for safety, and began appearing wherever she went, including at her children's school.
Seeking Protection
McKenna repeatedly reported Drury's behavior to police, with limited effect. She briefly returned to the relationship out of fear for her family's safety, then left again after Drury forced her and her children out of the house. She and her children stayed temporarily at a confidential domestic violence shelter, but Drury learned of her location and threatened her by phone, forcing her to leave. A restraining order she sought through a lawyer was determined to have limited legal force under Scottish law at the time, since she and Drury had not been married or living together, delaying meaningful protection. Drury continued to violate court orders, breaking into her home and making explicit threats against her.
Her Premonition
On September 2, 1998, McKenna told her sister, Aileen, that she believed Drury would eventually kill her. Two days later, on the night of September 4, McKenna went out with her sister, met another man, and invited him back to her home. Drury broke into the house that night; McKenna and the man fled onto the street, and Drury caught up to her and fatally attacked her with a hammer. She died from her injuries after being taken to a hospital.
Arrest and Trial
Drury was arrested within hours, with evidence including McKenna's blood on his clothing. He was convicted of murder at trial in February 1999. His conviction was overturned on appeal in 2001 due to a legal error in how the jury had been instructed regarding provocation, but a retrial that same year again found him guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Court records showed Drury had a prior conviction for a similar pattern of stalking and violence against an earlier partner, for which he received a comparatively brief sentence at the time.
A Sister's Advocacy
Following Marilyn's death, her sister Aileen became an advocate for reforming how police and courts respond to stalking and domestic violence, arguing that the systems meant to protect women like Marilyn had repeatedly failed her despite her persistent efforts to seek help.
FAQ
Did Marilyn McKenna seek help before her death?
Yes, repeatedly — including police reports, a restraining order, and a stay at a domestic violence shelter — but protections available at the time proved insufficient to stop Drury.
What happened to Stuart Drury?
He was convicted of murder in 1999, had that conviction overturned on appeal in 2001, and was convicted again at retrial the same year, receiving a life sentence.
Did Stuart Drury have a history of similar behavior?
Yes. He had a prior conviction for stalking and assaulting an earlier partner.