A man has been convicted of murder after stabbing his partner 27 times in a ‘vicious and calculated attack’.
Corey Dryden, 31, pleaded guilty to the murder of Megan Hughes, 31, at the Edinburgh High Court on Friday.
Police arrested him shortly after the stabbing, which occurred in their home on Windram Road in Chirnside, Scotland, in the early hours of February 9.
Emergency services attended the scene, but Megan, who had been stabbed 27 times and struck with a heavy object, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Megan, a mother of two children from a previous relationship, was described as ‘beautiful, caring, and much-loved.’
In a statement, her family said: ‘Megan was a much-loved mother and daughter. She was beautiful and caring.
‘This has left a massive hole in the family, who are all absolutely devastated,’ they added.
Dryden will be sentenced on July 24 at the High Court in Edinburgh.
DCI Laura White, of Police Scotland, said: ‘This was a vicious and calculated attack by Dryden that tragically resulted in Megan’s death.
‘His actions have robbed a family of their mum, daughter, granddaughter, sister and niece.
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‘Our thoughts very much remain with Megan’s family and friends as they come to terms with what happened to her.
‘I sincerely hope that today’s conviction brings them some sense of justice that Dryden will now face the full consequences of his actions.’
According to Scottish Women’s Aid, the police recorded 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse in 2023-24, an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.
Since 2018, Police Scotland has recorded over 60,000 incidents of domestic abuse each year. However, domestic abuse is largely a hidden crime which goes unreported to the police.
38% of female homicide victims were most likely to be killed by a partner or ex-partner in Scotland.
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