A new BBC podcast series reopens questions about the unexplained death of a nursing assistant in Northern Ireland more than three decades ago.
Assume Nothing: What Happened To Mary Glasgow revisits the case of a 35-year-old hospital worker who collapsed and died after an altercation with a patient in 1991.
The six-part series, presented by Nathan Edgar, investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Glasgow at Stradreagh Hospital in Londonderry and the long search for answers that followed.
On 23 March 1991, Mary was finishing her night shift at the psychiatric hospital when a patient suddenly became violent. A colleague who heard a disturbance rushed to assist, but by the time help arrived Mary had collapsed. Staff attempted to resuscitate her, but she died shortly afterwards.
Her husband, Norman Glasgow, was left without a clear explanation for what had happened. Determined to understand the circumstances of his wife’s death, he began campaigning for answers and pushed for an official investigation.
After months of delays, Norman succeeded in securing an inquest into the events surrounding Mary’s death. Witness testimony, medical evidence and postmortem findings were presented under oath during the proceedings.
Despite the evidence heard, the inquest failed to reach a definitive conclusion about what caused Mary’s death.
Norman continued to pursue the case for many years, raising questions about whether enough had been done to ensure the safety of staff and patients on the ward. His campaign continued until his death in 2021.
Today, Mary’s daughters are left with family memories, home videos filmed by their father and the unanswered questions that have remained for 35 years.
The new podcast series brings together a team of experts who re-examine the case using modern knowledge and fresh analysis in an effort to understand what happened.
A part of the award-winning Assume Nothing series, What Happened To Mary Glasgow begins on BBC Radio Ulster on 14 March.
Five episodes will also be available on BBC Sounds the same day, with the final episode released on 21 March.
