The harrowing true story of convicted murderer Malcolm Webster has returned to the spotlight with the arrival of the ITV drama The Widower on Netflix. The series delves into the life of the former nurse who killed his first wife and then turned his sinister attentions to his second wife, Felicity Drumm.
A Charming Facade and a Deadly Plan
The three-part series, which originally aired in 2014, stars Reece Shearsmith as the real-life killer. Webster's crimes began in 1994 when he murdered his first wife, Claire Morris, and fraudulently claimed over £200,000 from life insurance policies taken out in her name.
Evading justice, Webster's criminality continued. In 1996, he met Felicity Drumm at a dinner party in Saudi Arabia, where both were working at the same hospital. Their relationship progressed quickly, leading to a proposal in January 1997 and marriage in New Zealand in April 1997.
The Systematic Poisoning of Felicity Drumm
Throughout their marriage, Webster engaged in a calculated campaign of abuse against Felicity. He consistently drugged her with sedatives, causing her to fall into unnaturally deep sleeps. On one occasion during their honeymoon, she was unconscious for a staggering 36 hours.
The effects of the drugs were severe, leaving her with double vision and difficulty walking. In 1999, Webster's plot escalated when he planned to claim more than £750,000 in life insurance by intentionally crashing their car in Auckland.
He recklessly zigzagged the vehicle between lanes, insisting there was a mechanical problem. However, when Felicity, who was pregnant with their child at the time, took control of the wheel, she found nothing wrong. She miraculously survived this attempted murder.
Unravelling the Web of Deceit and Justice
In the aftermath of the car incident, Felicity discovered that Webster had withdrawn approximately NZD $140,000 from their joint bank account. She also found he had taken out several life insurance policies in her name without her knowledge. Adding to the terror, Webster was responsible for three house fires, including one at her parents' home.
Webster fled before facing consequences, but the case was reopened in 2006 after Felicity's sister mentioned the incidents and Claire Morris's death to a police officer in the UK. This prompted a major investigation.
In 2011, Felicity demonstrated immense courage by travelling from New Zealand to the UK to testify against her husband in what became one of Scotland's longest criminal trials. Webster was ultimately convicted of murder, attempted murder, fraud, theft, and attempted bigamy. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years.
Since the trial, Felicity Drumm has understandably retreated from public life and is believed to be living in New Zealand with her son, the child she was carrying during Webster's horrific attacks.
