WARNING: This article discusses intimate partner violence and may be distressing for individuals with personal experiences or connections to such situations.
A man has been convicted by a Scottish jury for the murder of his Canadian girlfriend on the secluded Shetland Islands in Scotland. The judge has decreed that the perpetrator, Aren Pearson, must serve a minimum of 25 years in prison for the crime.
Aged 41, Pearson was found guilty of assault and murder in the death of Claire Leveque, a 24-year-old woman originally from Westlock, Alberta, who had been residing in Edmonton.
Additional charges, including an attempt to obstruct justice, were dropped. Under the U.K. law, a murder conviction mandates a life sentence. Judge Paul Arthurson stipulated that Pearson must serve at least 25 years before becoming eligible for parole.
WARNING: Video contains graphic content | Aren Pearson was found guilty of the brutal 2024 murder of his Canadian girlfriend Claire Leveque on the remote Shetland Islands in Scotland. He has been sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Following the court’s ruling, Leveque’s cousin, Hope Ingram, expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the case and emphasized the pursuit of justice for Claire. Ingram, who attended the trial from Edmonton, described their bond as akin to sisters rather than cousins.
She hoped that the verdict would not only bring closure for Claire but also aid other victims of domestic violence in speaking out and moving forward.
Details Emerge During Court Proceedings
The couple met in Edmonton and relocated to Sandness, a small community in the Shetland Islands, with a population of around 23,000. Pearson, a Canadian citizen, disclosed that he had applied for U.K. citizenship and obtained his U.K. passport shortly after Leveque’s demise.
During the trial, Crown prosecutor Margaret Barron highlighted crucial evidence from a 48-minute emergency call made by Pearson on February 11, 2024. Pearson confessed to the operator that he had fatally stabbed Leveque multiple times in a hot tub, inflicting wounds to her heart, stomach, face, and neck.