Susan Helen Drury

Susan Helen Drury was found dead in her driveway in Holland Avenue, Scunthorpe on 24 December 1985.

She was found lying facedown by the postman at about 9.30am, although there were no immediate indications of an assault, she was later found to have died from forcible asphyxia. The police said:

She was last seen alive the day before, 23 December 1985, at about 11pm when she left the home of a friend in Dale Street, about a mile away from her home. She was thought to have left her friend's house in Dale Street and walked home along Sheffield Street, Long Road and Avenue Vivian.

She had been wearing a sheepskin coat, tight grey skirt, white stockings and black velvet high heeled shoes. She had also been carrying a white plastic shopping carrier containing goods which was found next to her body.

The police said they were focussing their door to door efforts along the Long Road area. They also set up a police caravan in Long Road at the junction with Henderson Avenue, for people to speak to them. It was reported on 2 January 1986 that between 30 and 40 people had come to the caravan to give them information and another 30 had visited the police station.

The police said that they were interested in hearing from anyone that had seen her walking home on the night of her murder.

She had been the eldest of three children.

She had been married to a 40-year-old unemployed crane driver, but estranged, having previously divorced in 1982. They had lived in Holland Avenue since they married in 1983, but Susan Drury had lately been living with her friend in Dale Street.

The police said:

The police appealed for information regarding a man that had been seen loitering in the Henerson Avenue area, accosting women. He was described as 5ft 8in or 5ft 9in tall, of medium build, with dark or black short hair, wearing a dark top coat and possibly blue jeans. The police said that they had had reports that the man had been in the area for a number of weeks and had been seen to accost women, and they appealed for anyone that had seen anything to come forward, in particular, one woman that was seen to be accosted by him. 

One of the woman that was seen to have been accosted by the man was described as having been middle aged, slim, small, with grey hair which appeared to be short and curly and wearing a long dark coat. She was said to have been seen to have been accosted at about 11pm on 23 December 1985.

The police said that they were also trying to trace a man that had been seen standing at the corner of Dale street and Sheffield Street on the Monday night at about 10.50pm.

He was described as having been about 5ft 8in tall, with neck length dark hair, and wearing a dark suit type jacket. He was seen walking along a 10-foot near to Dale street.

In March 1986 her husband was tried for having stabbed her friend twice in her bedroom in Dale Street in September 1985. It was heard that following rows, Susan Drury went to stay at her friend’s house and that her husband later went there and broke in and stabbed her friend twice in her bedroom because he blamed her for their marriage problems. He had stabbed her in the back and on the hand. It was heard that he thought that the woman had been leading his wife astray and encouraging her to sleep with other men. Susan Drury's husband denied wounding with intent and a second charge of  aggravated burglary with a knife but was convicted and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment after being convicted of wounding. He was said to have been suffering from 'pathological jealousy' at the time he stabbed her.

At his trial, her husband said that his estranged wife had been threatened by a man with a carving knife after she refused the man's advances to show her a blue movie.  He said that the incident led him to attack her friend a few days later. However, he denied having stabbed the woman, and said that when he had crept into her bedroom he had not been armed. He said:

The court heard that the incident that led him to attack Susan Drury's friend stemmed from a night out that she had had with her friend. It was heard that the man in question and his friend had picked up Susan Drury and her friend after meeting them for the first time in Garbo's nightclub. They then went home and the man's friend went to bed with Susan Drury's friend whilst the man and Susan Drury were left alone downstairs together and watched a blue film. However, it was said that the man then became amorous towards Susan Drury and that she became frightened. The man said that he then fetched a carving knife from the kitchen, but said that it wasn't to frighten her, but to give to her so that she could protect herself from him. He said:

However, the defence barrister claimed that the man had threatened Susan Drury with the knife, resulting in her becoming frightened and running upstairs to look for protection with her friend and the other man.

It was heard that Susan Drury's husband later heard of the incident, as well as the accusation that the woman had encouraged Susan Drury to have sex with both the men, and so he had gone to the woman's house where Susan Drury had been living since she had left him.

He said:

He said that after the incident he fled from the home, but that as he did, he also saw the other man leaving the house.

He denied stabbing the woman, but the prosecution asked him:

However. Susan Drury's husband replied: