MARY DRUMMOND FROM BRIDGE OF WEIR AND GLASGOW BRANDED WITCH AFTER CHILD CRUELTY CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Bridge of Weir and Glasgow, Mary Drummond, a 74-year-old care worker, was brought before Greenock Sheriff Court to face allegations of child cruelty that date back several decades. The incident that led to her court appearance involved her cruel treatment of young girls under her care at Quarrier's Home in Bridge of Weir, where she served as a house parent.

As the court proceedings unfolded, Drummond was visibly distressed, and her departure was marked by chaos as police had to escort her from the courtroom amidst a barrage of verbal abuse from her victims. The young women, now adults, hurled accusations and insults, branding her a witch as she left the court premises. The courtroom was tense, with victims expressing their ongoing pain and disappointment over the justice process.

During the trial, it was revealed that Drummond had told terrified children that they were the children of the devil and claimed to have been sent by God to punish them. These disturbing statements were part of a pattern of abuse that spanned the 1950s and 1960s, during which she was responsible for the care of vulnerable children. The court heard that her actions included locking young girls in cupboards, specifically under the stairs, and frightening them with stories of the Baw Baw, a mythical creature she used to threaten them with.

One victim, speaking outside the court, expressed her deep disappointment with the outcome, saying, “I’m bitterly disappointed. I wanted her to be locked up and to find out what it’s like to be treated like a prisoner the way she treated us. We’ve never had an apology or an explanation for what she did. I still have nightmares about what she did to us. She used to lock us in a cupboard under the stairs and tell us the Baw Baw would get us. I was only a young girl and remember thinking if I don’t open my eyes I won’t see it and it won’t see me.”

Judge John Herald addressed Drummond directly, acknowledging the severity of her actions but also considering her age and the time elapsed since the offences. He stated, “By any stretch of the imagination the circumstances of these offences are nasty and have had varying effects on the victims. However, I have to take into account that they took place 40 or 50 years ago and that you are no longer a danger to the public.”

While the judge could have sentenced her to two years in prison, he opted for a more lenient approach, sentencing her to three years’ probation. He emphasized the importance of supervision, saying, “Clearly you must be punished and I believe you should be supervised for a considerable time.”

It is noteworthy that Drummond initially pleaded guilty in February 2002, but her response to the charges caused further distress among her victims. She insisted she had made a mistake, which angered those affected. The following month, she returned to court claiming she had been unable to read the charges due to recent cataract surgery, leading to repeated adjournments. Ultimately, the law lords in Edinburgh ruled that she could not withdraw her pleas.

Details of her abuse were laid bare during the trial, with the deputy procurator-fiscal, Cath White, describing how Drummond had forced a child to swallow food and vomit by holding her nose and mouth, served meals repeatedly until they were eaten, and failed to provide medical treatment to a child with a bleeding head wound. Ms White also revealed that Drummond used a “bogeyman” figure—a mop with a grass skirt—to terrify the girls, locking them in cupboards and outhouse sheds, and asking if the Baw Baw had been to visit.

This case has reopened painful memories for many and has highlighted the long-lasting scars inflicted by abuse in childhood, even decades after the events occurred.