A coroner has concluded that Donald McPherson murdered his wife, Paula Leeson, for financial gain, despite being acquitted of her murder in 2021. Manchester South Senior Coroner Alison Mutch ruled at an inquest that Ms Leeson's death was an unlawful killing, stating that Mr McPherson was in debt and the sole beneficiary of her death.
Mr McPherson, 53, was ordered to be found not guilty of murdering Ms Leeson, 47, during his trial at Manchester Crown Court in 2021 due to insufficient evidence. The trial heard that he had taken out £3.5m life insurance on his wife shortly before her death in Denmark in 2017.
The coroner stated that Ms Leeson's death occurred because her husband compressed her neck to render her unconscious, causing her to enter the pool and drown, to financially benefit from her death. Det Ch Insp Daniel Clegg of Greater Manchester Police also stated his belief that Ms Leeson's death was a homicide and that she died at Mr McPherson's hands.
Ms Leeson's family, who had previously blocked Mr McPherson from inheriting her £4.4m estate, expressed their belief that this was a miscarriage of justice. They hope that ongoing investigations, including access to Mr McPherson's old laptop, will uncover new evidence for a retrial.