Man who murdered his partner in a hot tub sentenced to 25 years in prison

A man who murdered his partner in a hot tub in Shetland has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Aren Pearson killed Claire Leveque, 24, in a “truly horrifying” assault in a garage at a property in the Sandness area on February 11 2024.

The 41-year-old repeatedly stabbed the Canadian national in the head, neck and body, and inflicted blunt force trauma on her.

In all, she suffered 55 separate injuries, including at least 26 stab wounds, some of which were judged to have required “severe force”.

Following the assault, Pearson’s mother entered the garage to find Ms Leveque “dying” in the hot tub.

She dialled 999, and Pearson joined the call and said to the operator: “I’ve just killed my girlfriend in the hot tub in the garage at Ringville.

“I stabbed her about 40 times, in the heart, chest, face, neck and back.”

Police arrived at about 5.30pm to find Pearson “in the bloody water of the tub with Ms Leveque”, by which point he had also compressed her neck and submerged her head underwater, and made a video of the scene.

Ms Leveque was pronounced dead by first responders at 6.17pm.

Pearson was found guilty of Ms Leveque’s murder following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, and was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday.

Pearson was sentenced to 25 years for Ms Leveque’s murder, and two years for assaulting her on previous occasions, with both sentences to be served concurrently.

In handing down his sentence, Judge Lord Arthurson told Pearson: “I take into account primarily the sheer gravity of the crime of murder of which you now stand convicted.

“Your much younger girlfriend, your victim in this case, was isolated and vulnerable in Sandness.

“You had, from almost the outset of her arrival there, subjected her to a cruel campaign of violence and coercive control.

“On the afternoon of February 11 2024, in the garage, you inflicted some 36 injuries or injury clusters to her head and neck. You inflicted at least 26 defined stab wounds.”

He added: “Ms Leveque died a squalid death of quite unimaginable multi‑faceted violence, including in particular severe and frenzied instrumental violence, all at your hands.

“This was a sustained episode of feral butchery.

“You have sought to blame Ms Leveque for your own assaults against her, and you have, in a grave insult to her memory and to her bereaved family, put forward a defence that Ms Leveque inflicted these catastrophic injuries upon herself, a defence that the jury have unanimously rejected.”

Lord Arthurson told Pearson the attack was part of a “sinister pattern of domestic abuse” towards Ms Leveque, who had moved from Edmonton, Canada, in October 2023 to live with Pearson and his mother.

He added that during one argument in December 2023, a recording of which was played during the trial, Ms Leveque had “prophetically” told Pearson: “you’re going to kill me”.

The judge also said Ms Leveque’s family had been present throughout the trial, and praised their “dignity and restraint” throughout.

“One cannot imagine how her father has found the courage to do so, each day reliving the trauma of his daughter’s violent death so vividly in this courtroom,” he said.

He added: “It cannot be doubted that the family of your victim will forever live in the shadow of her absence.”

Speaking following the verdict, Detective Inspector Richard Baird said the level of violence inflicted by Pearson had been “truly horrifying”.

He went on: “These actions and his actions after his violent attack which led to her death show him as a cruel and selfish individual and it is right that he will now face the consequences of what he has done.

“Today’s verdict cannot change what happened, but I hope it brings a degree of closure to Claire’s family.”

Chief Inspector Chris Sewell, Shetland area commander, said that, fortunately, crimes of this nature are “extremely rare” in Shetland.

“This was a harrowing incident which we know had a wide impact across the local community in our islands,” he said.

“I know that many people’s thoughts across Shetland will be with Claire Leveque’s family and friends today.”