Andrea McDermott, a 43-year-old mother of four from Viewpark, North Lanarkshire, has been left with life-changing facial injuries and PTSD after a horrifying incident in September 2023. McDermott was attacked by her neighbour, John Hughes, with an axe, leaving her for dead in Uddingston.
The attack, which was caught on CCTV, happened when McDermott had gone to visit her older daughter at her home on Old Edinburgh Road. Her younger daughter had made complaints to the police about Hughes’s behaviour in the past. Hughes, a 63-year-old man with a previous conviction for an axe attack, was jailed for 11 years after the assault.
McDermott recounted the terrifying moments before blacking out, saying that the last words she heard were her five-year-old daughter begging Hughes not to hit her mum. She described Hughes standing above her with the axe and her fear for her daughter’s life as she tried to talk him down. The attack only stopped when a passing teenager on a bike intervened and called the police.
McDermott suffered multiple facial and scalp wounds, skull fractures, a brain bleed, and fractures of the upper and lower jaw. She remained unconscious for four days and had to stay in the neurosurgical unit of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for ten days. McDermott still requires further surgery and ongoing counselling for her PTSD.
In court, Hughes pleaded guilty to charges of severe assault, permanent disfigurement, endangering life, and attempted murder. The prosecutor revealed that McDermott’s older daughter had previously reported Hughes to the police multiple times. Hughes was sentenced to 11 years in prison and will be monitored for four years after his release.
McDermott bravely attended the sentencing and expressed how the attack had profoundly changed her life. She mentioned that while part of her wishes Hughes were dead, she is relieved that he is now off the streets, ensuring the safety of others from potential harm. McDermott’s courage and resilience in facing her attacker in court highlights her strength in seeking justice and closure.
This harrowing story sheds light on the devastating impact of senseless acts of violence within communities and the long-lasting trauma it inflicts on victims and their families. It serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up against such atrocities and supporting those who have endured such horrific ordeals.