A judge has concluded that a millionaire, Paula Leeson, who drowned in a swimming pool while on holiday with her husband, Donald McPherson, was unlawfully killed by him.

Leeson, from Greater Manchester, was found in a 4-foot-deep pool at a cottage in Denmark in 2017, where she had been staying with McPherson.

Although McPherson was acquitted of her murder in 2021, Leeson’s family requested further investigation into whether her death was an unlawful killing. Following the new inquiry, Mr. Justice Richard Smith ruled that McPherson, now 51, was responsible for deliberately and unlawfully killing Leeson by restraining her in an armlock and placing her in the pool. The court found her injuries consistent with the use of force or violence.

In his ruling, Mr. Justice Smith described Ms. Leeson as "a much-loved mother, daughter, and sister." He condemned McPherson, stating that "lies and dishonesty pervade every aspect of Don's life" and that he "lied repeatedly to this court." Due to the judgement, McPherson is now barred from inheriting Ms. Leeson’s £4.4 million estate.

The judge further remarked on the secrecy and deceit that surrounded McPherson’s actions. Photo by Sang Hyun Cho, Wikimedia commons.