A recent coroner’s report has overturned the previous ruling that a man was innocent of killing his wealthy wife, now determining that he did indeed murder her.
Donald McPherson, a convicted fraudster aged 53, was acquitted during his trial in 2021 after a judge’s instruction to the jury to find him not guilty at Manchester Crown Court. McPherson had taken out a £3.5 million life insurance policy on his wife, Paula Leeson, just before her supposed accidental drowning while on vacation in Denmark in 2017.
Shortly after his wife’s death, McPherson began emptying her bank accounts to settle his debts. The Leeson family, who operates a plant hire business in south Manchester, prevented McPherson from inheriting his late wife’s £4.4 million estate two years ago.
McPherson, with a criminal record spanning 15 years and 32 convictions across three countries, concealed his past from his wife by using aliases and a false narrative of being an orphan. In civil court proceedings brought by the Leeson family, it was determined that McPherson unlawfully killed his 47-year-old wife for financial gain by strangling her unconscious and then drowning her in a pool.
During the inquest delayed by the trial and civil actions, the coroner supported the unlawful killing verdict. Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Clegg of Greater Manchester Police stated that the incident was undoubtedly a homicide, emphasizing that McPherson was the sole beneficiary of his wife’s demise.
The coroner, Alison Mutch, confirmed that McPherson, burdened by financial troubles, murdered his wife to profit from her death. The Leeson family’s legal representative expressed the belief that McPherson should be serving a life sentence for the murder, highlighting ongoing investigations to potentially lead to a retrial with new evidence.
Ms. Leeson, who drowned in a pool during a vacation in Denmark, was described as a capable swimmer. However, she tragically perished in a shallow pool despite her swimming abilities. McPherson claimed to have found her lifeless in the pool, initially dismissed as an accident by Danish authorities despite the presence of multiple external injuries on her body.
The Leeson family, deeply affected by the loss, continues to seek justice for Paula, emphasizing their dissatisfaction with the legal system’s handling of the case. The family remains determined to pursue further action to ensure accountability for her untimely death.