24 hours that changed McKie family forever
SEPTEMBER 28
6.20AM: Darren McKie leaves his home on Burford Close in Wilmslow to go to work. 6.49AM: He arrives at Stretford police station.
10AM: He attends a resource management meeting which is due to last 90 minutes but appears distracted and leaves it early to take a call.
11.20AM: A parcel from Fluent Finance is delivered to the home address in Burford Close. Leanne McKie – who has taken the children to school and is due to start her late shift at 3pm – opens it and realises her husband has applied for a £54,000 loan behind her back. The parcel contains their passports.
11.22AM: Leanne texts her husband: “You liar! Just got back a loan application with my passport and my name. Wtf.” She searches ‘Fluent Money’ on the internet before sending her husband a second text which read: “I asked you and you promised. Fluent finance? Who are they? Are we in such a mess? Why again? The kids need clothes and shoes what’s going on.”
11.37AM: McKie leaves Stretford police station.
12.05PM: He arrives home and murders Leanne, strangling her and covering her mouth to prevent the neighbours hearing her screams. It’s possible he hides the body under the stairs. At some point he moves the body into the boot of his wife’s Mini Countryman.
1PM: McKie parks the car around the corner and walks back home.
1.10PM: He welcomes a surveyor into the house and allows him to carry out a valuation on the property for the Fluent Finance loan.
1.45PM: McKie sends a text to his dead wife’s mobile saying: “Hi love. Hope you are OK. I have rung you a couple of times this morning. Speak tomorrow.”
3.15PM: McKie starts the school run before making his children their dinner and then putting them to bed.
9.20PM: He sends another text to his dead wife’s phone saying: “Hi hun. Your dad text me. They have not heard from you. You OK? Bit worried now xx.”
10.30PM: With the children in bed, McKie leaves the home and starts driving around in the Mini to find a suitable dumping ground for the body.
AROUND MIDNIGHT: He drags the body 140 metres into the water at Poynton Lake, leaving it face down. He walks home.
SEPTEMBER 29
1.30AM: Police spot him on Adlington Road but allow him on his way. 2.15AM: The same officers spot him again on Moor Lane, this time without shoes. They take him home. They later leave to try to find Leanne. 3.45AM: Leanne’s body is discovered at Poynton Lake. 5.07AM: The officers return to Burford Close and arrest McKie on suspicion of murder.