Every third day, in our #EveryThreeDays campaign, I write about a woman killed by a man. Previously in this campaign, which started on May 2nd 2021, we have remembered 57 women, the last being Usha Patel.
Today we remember, twenty-two-year-old Andrea Waddell, who was murdered exactly twelve years ago today, October 15th 2009.
Andrea was a post trans woman and worked in the sex industry. This is not unusual for trans women because, sadly, many employers shy away from giving trans folk everyday jobs.
Neil McMillan, 42, was found guilty of murdering Andrea at Lewis Crown court and sentenced to a minimum of 22 years, with the Judge Michael Lawson QC saying:
“What you did that night brought to an end a life which in many views was one of relentless difficulty faced with extreme courage. The person you killed was a person who always sought to overcome difficulties. On the other hand, faced with a difficulty in that flat, whatever that was, you chose to take it out on her. You strangled her with relentless pressure for over 20 seconds. There was the distinction between you and her. Once you lost control, for whatever reason and which cannot be regarded as justified, you formed the intention to destroy her, to kill her.”
After the verdict, Andrea’s family said: As a family, we can now remember Andrea, her passions and the causes she fought for during her life, knowing that the person who callously extinguished that life is behind bars. We hope everyone who had read about Ms Waddell would be inspired to live their lives true to themselves and not to judge other people for their differences”.
Det Ch Insp Adam Hibbert also gave a statement saying, “McMillan brutally killed Ms Waddell, then tried to cover his tracks, and had later given interviews that had been exposed as devious and deceitful. Due to the nature of Andrea’s work, people were understandably reluctant to come forward to speak to the police, but they bravely did so.
He said without support from the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and sex worker communities, Andrea and her family would not have received the justice they deserved.
Andrea Waddell
#EveryThreeDays
Authored by Steph @PlaceSteph
