The tragic story of Mary McLaughlin
In 1984, the city of Glasgow Scotland was rocked after one of their residents had been murdered after a night out with her daughter. Mary McLaughlin was a 58-year-old woman known for her friendly demeanor and the news of her death was surprising to many and left the residents of Hyndland Glasgow on edge as the case would turn cold before being solved decades later.
Night Out Turns Deadly
Having fun is one of the many things Scots are known for, but none expect that something sinister would be waiting for them at the end of the night and this was the unfortunate case for Mary.
On the 26th of September, Mary had gone to the local pub with her daughter for a couple of drinks and to play a few rounds of darts. It was a relaxing and fun evening for the women before they parted at around 10:45 pm, when Mary’s daughter got on the bus to head home and Mary started her walk back to her residence on Laurel Street.
It is almost compulsory for Scots to head to a chip shop after a night out and this is exactly what Mary did, buying herself fritters and cigarettes. While in the chip shop, Mary’s friendly and bubbly personality shown as she joked and laughed with staff members before continuing her walk home bare footed. No one, including Mary knew that her friendliness would soon have her fighting for her life before sadly passing away at another person’s hands.
Shortly after leaving the chip shop, Mary met a young man on the street who struck up a conversation with her. The young man then decided to walk Mary home. Rather than parting ways outside of the building, the young man entered Mary’s home where his brutal attack which would end her life began.
Body Discovered and Investigation
Six days later, Mary’s son would visit her and begin to panic when the door wasn’t answered and a putrid smell emitted from the home. He had asked her neighbour for the spare key, however, was still unable to gain entrance, so he kicked the door in. As he didn’t want to see what his gut was telling him was at the other end of the door, his girlfriend at the time entered the house on his behalf. The screams from his girlfriend confirmed all that he needed to know. His mother was gone.
When Strathclyde Police appeared on the seen, they discovered Mary lying on the floor, wearing a green dress that had been put on backwards, with a ligature mark on her neck. The 58-year-old had been strangled to death. As CCTV did not exist in 1984 and DNA profiling was in its infancy, finding the killer was extremely difficult for the officers on the case. Witnesses did not recognise the man and 35 years later, they would learn that it was an outsider who had caused sadness and grief throughout the area.
With advancements in forensic science, DNA was able to be extracted and tested to help turn the cold case into a closed case. DNA found on a knot of a cord led police to Graham McGill, who was 24-years old at the time. Not only was his DNA found on the cord, it was also discovered on her dress, the butt of a cigarette and on her black bra which had been discovered in a garden nearby.
At the time of Mary’s murder, McGill resided in Edinburgh at Her Majesties Prison Edinburgh. He had been convicted of rape and was serving the final weeks of a six year sentence, which had been halved due to good behaviour, when the murder took place. He had been granted temporary release and was due back in prison the next day.
Trial
On the 4th of December 2019, McGill was apprehended at his home in Glasgow. He would then go through a three day trial which not only revealed how dangerous the man was, but also how the Scottish justice system repeatedly released a man who was a danger to the women in Scottish society.
1980’s was not the only prison stint McGill had in his life. In 1999, he was sentenced to life in prison for a brutal assault with the intent to ravish (rape), but was then released on license (parole which is in place for the remainder of their life ) in 2007. An ex-wife of McGill had also revealed how he had threatened her life after he told her he had killed a woman using her tights. The terrified woman had to keep the sickening secret to spare her own life until she was safe to reveal the despicable and inhumane actions of McGill.
After the 3 day trial, jurors took very little time in finding McGill guilty for the murder of Mary McLaughlin. Unfortunately, the Scottish justice system would once again show their preference for short sentences for heinous crimes, by serving Graham to 14 years in prison. At the time of his arrest, Graham was 59-years-old, meaning he will be released around the age of 73.
Scottish Justice System and Short Sentences
Short sentences that don’t fit the crime is common in Scotland. Especially in regards to murderers. McGill is not the only one who has to serve a short sentence for taking the life of another. Unlike the US, parole is offered to the most inhumane killers in Scotland.
On the 18th October 2013, Euan Dow brutally murdered 21-year-old Daniel Turner in Riverside Park, Glenrothes, Fife. Earlier that night, Dow wrote on Facebook that he was about to “murder a wee dafty” showing that the actions he would later commit that night were premeditated. Dow and Turner were strangers, meeting for the first time that night.
Dow would go on to stab Daniel 171 times. In the US, it would have been seen as murder in the 1st degree with a most likely sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. In Scotland, he was given 18 and a half years and will be eligible for parole at that time.
The fact that murderers such as McGill and Dow will one day be allowed to wander the streets and live a normal life is unfathomable to many. Protecting people should be one of the most important aspects to consider when giving sentences and that is one thing Scotland does not do. McGill is the perfect example of that as Mary would not have died if he had not been given temporary release.
Changes need to be made to ensure that no one else ends up in the same situation as Mary McLaughlin due to the errors made by the justice system. However, I don’t believe that will happen despite how many criminals prove that they will commit the same crimes over and over again.
