Demi Hannaway: Police to interview best friend who saw attacks

Leeanne McMullen was Demi Hannaway's best friend.

Police Scotland detectives are set to interview the best friend of Demi Hannaway who witnessed the tragic mum being repeatedly strangled by violent partner Andrew Brown.

Despite being given Leeanne McMullen’s contact details when Demi was found hanged at her home in Airdrie four years ago, detectives are only now planning to interview the young mum.

Police have only just called Leeanne, 28, to take a statement, despite her witnessing repeated attacks by Brown, including incidents where police were previously called to arrest the convicted domestic abuser.

Demi’s family are set to meet Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to discuss what they say are 32 failures that led Police Scotland to say their daughter hanged herself, even though attending officers had previously come to her home on domestic violence calls.

Demi’s parents, Helen and John, along with experts who have examined the case, believe it should be reopened and investigated.

Leeanne, who constantly urged Demi to leave Brown over fears “he would kill her”, said: “I cannot believe it has taken them four years to come and speak to me.

“Demi and I were like sisters. We even timed having our babies at the same time, that’s how close we were.

“I knew everything that happened because we were always together, and when we weren’t, Demi would confide in me later.

“I’ve lost count of the number of times I witnessed Andrew Brown attacking Demi, including strangling her and choking her until she almost passed out. I have also lost count of the number of times I had to drag him off Demi because I was terrified he would kill her.

“I begged and begged her to leave him before he killed her because I was convinced that was what would happen. Andrew Brown was a jealous, violent man who could not control himself.”

‘A bright, loving girl’

Brave Leeanne says the moment Demi met Brown, she became concerned for her friend.

She said: “Demi was such a bright, beautiful, loving girl. She could have done anything with her life. She could have had any man she chose, but for some reason she chose him.

“I admit I did not like him. But that was because of the way he treated Demi. For some reason, she did not see it. There was a honeymoon period of around three months when Brown was on his best behaviour and seemed pleasant. But after that, he would constantly pick arguments with Demi.

“Brown rarely held down a job, so it was up to Demi to pay for everything including buying his clothes, and he only wore the best.

“He would try and control every single part of her life, from who she saw to where she went and what she wore. Brown appeared to be incredibly jealous and insecure, shouting at Demi if she dared wear a nice outfit.

“He would constantly accuse her of trying to attract other men when Demi clearly only had eyes for him.

“If Demi did not do what he wanted, Brown would fly into a rage and physically attack her.

“He would lash out with his feet and fists. He would drag her to the ground and strangle her with his hands all the way around her neck. He did that repeatedly in front of me.

“I lost count of how many times I had to physically drag Brown off Demi.

“She had bruising and marks on her face and body which she would hide from her parents. Demi made me promise not to tell them what I’d seen.”

Friends Leeanne McMullen and Demi Hannaway were inseparable from a young age.

Leeanne says she has been left devastated by her friend’s death on May 13, 2021. She said: “I will never believe Demi took her own life.

“She loved her babies and her family too much to do that to them. Demi would never leave them behind. She had lots of plans for the rest of her life, and I believe she was finally ready to leave him.

“When I heard Demi was dead, my first words were: ‘What did he do to her?’

“Never for a moment did I wonder what she had done to herself.”

Leeanne and Demi became inseparable when they met at school, sharing everything.

From happy childhood days to teenage nights out and then to becoming mums together, the young women had an unbreakable bond.

Leeanne said: “I doubt I will ever overcome the grief and loss of Demi not being here.

“I was so torn apart by her death I couldn’t even face going to her funeral because I was so broken.”

‘Brown knew I did not trust him with Demi’

Although Leeanne did not see Brown attack Demi when she was pregnant, her friend confided in her that Brown had thrown her about and she was terrified.

Leeanne said: “I felt sick when she told me he had attacked her while she was pregnant.

“I warned her she needed to get away before something terrible happened.

“Brown knew I did not trust him with Demi, and he would give her a really hard time when he knew she was seeing me.

“He was the same with Demi’s parents and tried to keep them away from her. He wanted to keep Demi for himself and did all he could to prevent her seeing the people who loved her.

“It got so bad that Demi had to put a different name on my phone number because if Brown saw my name, he would rant and rave and refuse to let her go out.”

The two friends were delighted when their plans to have their babies at the same time worked out.

Leeanne said: “Demi was just so happy about that. She had her baby daughter a few days before I had my son Bobby.

“We had been planning to meet up the day she died because she was convinced I would go into labour that day.

“As the morning passed, I didn’t worry too much because Demi was always running late.

“By the afternoon I was getting anxious.

“Then I got the phone call that I had been dreading since the moment she met Brown.

“I just broke down.

“Nothing will ever be the same for any of us who loved Demi.”

Police Scotland said: “A complaint has been received and is being progressed by our Professional Standards Department.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further while this is ongoing and a response will be sent to the complainers in due course.”

‘She couldn’t breathe and her face was bright red’

Andy Brown was sentenced to jail for attacks on Demi Hannaway. — Brown hit Demi in front of her friend.

Leeanne revealed she is still “haunted” by one particularly shocking incident when Brown tried to strangle Demi.

She said: “I thought Demi was going to die. Brown was choking her so hard she couldn’t breathe and her face was bright red.

“I physically leapt on him and used all my body strength to drag him off her.

“Instead of stopping, Brown just came right back at her.

“I tried to get Demi away from him, and the attack continued out into the street.

“Someone must have called the police because they arrived and eventually took him away overnight.

“He returned next morning and said he’d been taken to court.

“The police came quite a few times because their rows got louder and people could hear what was going on.

“But the police seemed to put things down to a drunken row instead of taking action against a determined domestic abuser.

“I was terrified for Demi because I could see Brown had stripped her of her spirit by constantly bringing her down and threatening her.”

‘Don’t do what I did and stay silent. Tell everyone’

Leeanne says she deeply regrets not raising the alarm about Brown’s violence with Demi’s family – but her friend asked her not to.

She said: “I had begged her so many times to leave Brown because of his violent rages, but once she had her babies, she was determined not to bring them up in a broken home.

“She would literally beg me not to tell her mum and dad about Brown’s violence.

“I will hate myself forever for not doing the right thing and telling them what he was doing.

“But I was Demi’s best friend.

“She trusted me and I felt I couldn’t betray her.

“If only I had known what would happen, I would have betrayed that trust in a heartbeat because I believe it would have saved her life.”

Leeanne wishes she could turn the clock back and tell Demi’s mum and dad, Helen and John.

She said: “If I could turn back time, I would tell Demi’s parents and risk falling out with her.

“If anyone else is in the same situation, even if it’s family, don’t do what I did and stay silent. Make sure you tell everyone you can and get the person the support they need to get out.

“I will live the rest of my life wishing I’d done that for Demi.”

Leeanne alleged the attacks by Brown became increasingly brutal as the relationship continued.

She said: “He didn’t even care that he was doing it in front of me. He’d batter Demi regularly, leaving her with bruises and marks on her face and neck.

“Demi would cover up the marks so her parents would not see them.

“He even attacked her in my home, smashing the place up in a fury, punching walls and doors. Demi and I had to get the place repaired and fixed up quickly before her parents came round and saw it. During one rage when he smashed things up in my house, he cut his hand and wrote ‘Demi is dead’ on the walls in his own blood.”