Threatening letter leaves families of pair brutally killed fearing for safety

Julie McCash, 43, and David Sorrie, 32, died after Robert Stratton knifed them both at a family vigil being held in Mid Craigie.

Stratton was convicted in September of the murder of Ms McCash, 43, and of the culpable homicide of Mr Sorrie, 32, by a High Court jury.

A judge sentenced him to a minimum of 23 years in prison as part of a life term. He is currently locked up at HMP Grampian in Peterhead.

A threatening letter — bearing an Aberdeen postmark — was delivered to a property in Mid Craigie last week.

The letter, written in black ink in block capital letters on a scrap piece of paper says: “If anything happens to any of my family it won’t be a letter I send to your house next time.

“Tell they ***** to leave them alone. The Drumgeith is a secluded area.”

Family members of Ms McCash and Mr Sorrie have revealed they are in no doubt that the letter is from Stratton.

Police Scotland is now investigating who sent the letter.

Today, Julie McCash’s daughter Khailey McKenzie, 25, said she and other family members were “horrified” to have received the letter.

Khailey said: “This letter came out of the blue. We are convinced Stratton was behind it.

“Whether or not he wrote it we can’t be certain.

“But, given what is contained in the letter, we are in no doubt that Stratton is behind it.”

She added: “It also contains a reference to close family members of Stratton. I think the letter is a direct threat to me and other members of my family.

“I don’t understand how anyone could be allowed to threaten witnesses and the family of the victims.

“It’s coming up to our first Christmas without them and we are grieving and heartbroken.

“We’ve had enough taken from us.”

Khailey said that her family has now reported having received the threatening letter to the police.

She said: “They came to see us and have taken the letter away to try to find out who sent it.” Robert Stratton

Lynsey Berry, 35, partner of David Sorrie, said she too believed that the poison pen letter was a direct threat to her and other family members.

She said: “I’m sure he’s behind this letter. This is a threat to family members that has left us very angry.”

Jim Sorrie, uncle of Julie and David, said he would never understand why Stratton had not been convicted of double murder.

He said: “I feel he fooled the jury into this and I will never understand it.”

Stratton has instructed his legal team to begin appeal proceedings.

His lawyer, George Mathers, said he was not aware of the letter.

Mr Mathers said: “I am aware that Robert Stratton is concerned that threats have been made to members of his family while he is in prison at Peterhead.” However, Khailey said: “No threats have been made towards Stratton or his family by any of us. “To suggest that we have done this is complete lies.”

Mr Mathers said he was meeting with Stratton next week to discuss the appeal.

THE families of t wo cousins who were brutally killed have received a threatening letter which has left them fearing for their safety.