A convicted fraudster has been barred from inheriting his deceased wife’s £4.4 million estate after a judge concluded that he had unlawfully killed her.
Paula Leeson’s body was discovered in a 4ft-deep pool at a cottage in Denmark, where she was staying with her husband, Donald McPherson, in 2017. Although McPherson was acquitted of her murder in 2021, her family requested a judicial review to determine whether he had unlawfully caused her death.
McPherson, 51, who denies the murder and is believed to be residing in the South Pacific, is now prevented from claiming her £4.4 million estate.
Judge Richard Smith described Ms. Leeson as “a much-loved mother, daughter, and sister” and ruled that McPherson, known as Don, deliberately and unlawfully killed her by putting her in an armlock and then placing her in the pool. Despite being 5ft 5in tall and healthy, Ms. Leeson drowned in the pool, which was less than 4ft deep.
Initially, McPherson was charged with her murder but was found not guilty in 2021 due to insufficient evidence, with the judge noting that the prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence. However, following a legal challenge by Leeson’s family, their lawyers argued that since Ms. Leeson could swim, she must have been incapacitated before being placed in the water.
McPherson, originally named Alexander James Lang from New Zealand, met Ms. Leeson in 2013. He had used a false backstory about being an orphan to conceal his past, including a conviction for an £11 million bank fraud in Germany. His previous wife and child had died in a house fire. Described as a “Walter Mitty” character, McPherson had changed his name multiple times and accumulated 32 convictions over 15 years in three different countries.
Paula Leeson, who managed the skip hire division of her family’s successful business in Sale, near Manchester, had a child from a previous relationship and was set to inherit the business alongside her brother Neville.
Her husband, Donald McPherson, claimed to be a property developer. The couple married in 2014 at a Cheshire castle following what was described as a “whirlwind romance.”
The Leeson family sought a judicial ruling under the civil standard of “balance of probabilities” to determine if McPherson had unlawfully killed Ms. Leeson.
Before her death, McPherson had secretly taken out life insurance policies on his wife worth approximately £3.5 million. On June 6, 2017, he reported finding Ms. Leeson face down in the pool. Shortly afterward, he began transferring large sums of money from her accounts to address his own debts. He also joined a bereavement group called Widowed And Young, which he reportedly referred to as “Tinder for widows.”
In his judgment delivered on Friday, Mr. Justice Richard Smith concluded: “Don deliberately and unlawfully killed Paula by compressing her neck in an arm lock, rendering her unconscious and causing her to fall into the pool to ensure her drowning and death. Don’s motive for unlawfully killing Paula Leeson is clear: money.”
The judge highlighted the critical issue of how Ms. Leeson ended up in the 4ft-deep pool and was unable to save herself. He determined that she must have been unconscious, with the neck injuries indicating compression from an arm lock applied by McPherson.
He added: “It is no exaggeration to say that lies and dishonesty pervade every aspect of Don’s life. Don lies to anyone if it might serve his interests.
“I cannot begin to comprehend the pain and heartache that the Leesons have experienced as a result of Paula’s death.”
