ERIC MCKENNA'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN GATESHEAD AND NEWCASTLE: VICTIM'S 35-YEAR STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE

In a case that has spanned over three decades, the story of Eric McKenna, a man from Gateshead and Newcastle, has come to the forefront following his recent conviction for heinous crimes. The victim, Wendy Forrester, endured a harrowing ordeal in 1983 when she was just 21 years old, and her long wait for justice finally culminated in McKenna’s imprisonment.

Wendy’s nightmare began in May 1983 as she was making her way home from a social gathering in the Throckley area of Newcastle. She was walking towards a taxi office situated at the Gateshead end of the High Level Bridge when she noticed a man, later identified as Eric McKenna of Arthur’s Hill, following her. Without warning, McKenna suddenly grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth with his hand and threatening her with a knife. The assault quickly escalated as he pushed her down a grassy embankment and forcibly raped her, pulling her jacket over her head to conceal his face. During the attack, McKenna handed her a single pound note, remarking, “That’s for your bus fare,” before fleeing the scene.

Despite reporting the assault to the police, Wendy faced a dismissive and insensitive response typical of the early 1980s. She described her treatment as “appalling,” recounting how officers told her to forget what happened and questioned her sexuality, asking if she was gay and implying her girlfriend would be displeased. She was also told that, as a single mother with a nearly three-year-old son, she should have expected such violence. Her statement was taken, and she was examined, but the police’s attitude and the lack of immediate evidence left her feeling abandoned and traumatized.

Over the following years, Wendy’s life deteriorated. Her relationship with her family broke down, and she developed mental health issues, including schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She did not disclose her trauma to medical professionals at the time, which prevented her from receiving appropriate treatment. Her life was marked by social withdrawal, loss of confidence, and a sense of hopelessness, compounded by the fact that her attacker was never caught. She eventually moved away from Newcastle to Blackpool, where she now cares full-time for her stepson.

Unbeknownst to Wendy, McKenna was not finished with his crimes. In 1988, five years after her assault, another young woman, an 18-year-old student, was attacked in a secluded yard off Newcastle’s New Bridge Street while walking home from a party. Like Wendy, she was also assaulted from behind, with her face covered by her own jacket. This case remained unsolved at the time, and police did not connect it to Wendy’s attack.

It was only in 2002, when Northumbria Police launched Operation Phoenix, a cold case review initiative, that these crimes were revisited. Advances in DNA technology allowed investigators to re-examine evidence from both cases. Although DNA evidence from the 1988 attack was initially limited, evidence from Wendy’s case, including a comb used during her examination, was preserved and eventually yielded a DNA profile. This profile linked the two crimes, providing a scientific connection that had eluded authorities for years.

In 2006, police re-examined evidence from Wendy’s case, and in 2016, McKenna’s name emerged again when police arrested him on suspicion of harassment following complaints from a female neighbor. A DNA sample taken from McKenna was entered into the national database, resulting in a match that confirmed his involvement in the earlier rapes. The police delayed arresting him to ensure their case was solid, and in 2018, McKenna was brought to trial.

Wendy, who waived her right to anonymity, testified in court, recounting her ordeal and the impact it had on her life. The jury found that the DNA evidence was conclusive, with the odds of it belonging to someone else being one in a billion. McKenna was convicted of both rapes and sentenced to 23 years in prison, providing Wendy with a sense of closure after decades of suffering.

However, the case took another unexpected turn when McKenna’s family sought to challenge his conviction. Earlier this month, it was revealed that his family had initiated proceedings to exhume the body of Thomas Edward McKenna, who died of a heart attack in 1993 and is buried in St John’s Cemetery, Elswick, Newcastle. The sister of Eric McKenna suggested that her father, Thomas, might have been the real perpetrator, not her brother. This bizarre move prompted police to consider reopening the case, although Northumbria Police stated they currently have no plans to do so.

Wendy expressed her frustration and anger over the family’s actions. She criticized their attempt to clear McKenna’s name, emphasizing that her conviction was based on solid forensic evidence and her testimony. “I think they are just clutching at straws, but his family need to think about other people not just themselves,” she said. She also voiced her concern that exhuming Thomas McKenna’s body could undermine other convictions and cause further distress to victims.

Despite her doubts about the family’s motives, Wendy remains confident that justice was rightly served. She reflected on the relief she felt seeing McKenna imprisoned and emphasized that her long fight for justice had finally brought her peace. Yet, she fears that the ongoing controversy might reopen wounds and cast doubt on her case and others like it. Her story remains a stark reminder of the importance of perseverance and the power of forensic science in delivering justice for victims of such heinous crimes.