A coroner has concluded that Donald McPherson, previously cleared of killing his wealthy wife Paula Leeson, did murder her, reaching a verdict of unlawful killing. The inquest heard that McPherson, a convicted fraudster, took out a £3.5 million life insurance policy on his wife shortly before her death in a swimming pool in Denmark in 2017.
Financial motive and criminal history
Within hours of Ms Leeson's death, McPherson emptied thousands of pounds from her accounts to pay off debts. He was later blocked from inheriting her £4.4 million estate. McPherson had 32 convictions across three countries and had used multiple name changes and a cover story of being an orphan to hide his past, including a prison sentence for an £11 million bank fraud in Germany.
Coroner's findings
Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Manchester South, told Stockport Coroner's Court that McPherson was heavily in debt and the only person to benefit from his wife's death. She said: "I am therefore satisfied he did murder his wife. Her death occurred because her husband compressed her neck to render her unconscious, causing her body to enter the pool, causing her to drown, to financially benefit from her death. Her death was as a result of an unlawful killing."
Police and family response
Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Clegg of Greater Manchester Police stated: "There's no doubt this was a homicide. She died at his hands. I have not looked for anyone else." He agreed with the family's view that this was a miscarriage of justice and that McPherson, now living in New Zealand, should be serving a life sentence. Sophie Cartwright KC, representing the Leeson family, said investigations are ongoing, and the family hopes that evidence from McPherson's old laptop will lead to a retrial. Ms Leeson's brother Neville said her life was taken by McPherson's "greed" and that "the man who murdered her is walking around free."
Background
Ms Leeson, 47, drowned in a pool at a remote holiday cottage in Denmark. She was 5ft 5in and could swim, but the pool was only 4ft deep. She had 13 separate external injuries. McPherson claimed he woke to find her face down in the pool, and her death was initially treated as an accident by Danish authorities. He later cleared their home of her possessions and joined a bereavement group, which he called "Tinder for widows."
