Coroner Alison Mutch has ruled that Donald McPherson murdered his wife, Paula Leeson, during a 2017 trip to Denmark. This finding comes despite a 2021 criminal trial that cleared the convicted fraudster of the killing.
The 13 external injuries and a Danish swimming pool
The inquest into the death of Paula Leeson revealed that the 47-year-old woman suffered 13 separate external injuries before dying in a swimming pool at a remote holiday cottage in Denmark. According to the report, Coroner Alison Mutch determined that Donald McPherson did not find his wife face down in the water as he had originally claimed to police.
Instead, Coroner Alison Mutch concluded that Donald McPherson compressed the neck of Paula Leeson to render her unconscious before her body entered the pool.. The coroner was satisfied that this act constituted an unlawful killing, effectively contradicting the outcome of the earlier criminal proceedings.
A £3.5 million insurance policy and crushing debt
Financial desperation appears to be the primary driver behind the crime, as Donald McPherson had taken out life insurance policies on Paula Leeson totaling between £2.5 million and £3.5 million shortly before her death. as reported, the fraudster began emptying thousands of pounds from the accounts of Paula Leeson within hours of her death to settle his own debts.
Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Clegg of the Greater Manchester Police told the inquest that Donald McPherson had backed himself into a severe financial crisis. DCI Daniel Clegg asserted that the only viable escape from this crisis was the death of Paula Leeson, noting that there were simply too many coincidences for the drowning to be accidental.
The £4.4 million estate battle and the 2021 acquittal
While Donald McPherson was cleared of murder in a 2021 court appearance, the legal battle continued through civil channels. The family of Paula Leeson, who operate a plant hire business in south Manchester, successfully blocked Donald McPherson from inheriting the £4.4 million estate of his late wife in 2024.
This civil victory followed a separate judge's ruling that Donald McPherson had indeed unlawfully killed Paula Leeson. The current ruling by Coroner Alison Mutch provides further validation for the Leeson family, though it does not carry the same penal weight as a criminal conviction.
From 'Tinder for widows' to a German prison cell
The inquest highlighted the predatory nature of Donald McPherson, noting that he joined a bereavement support group which he described as "Tinder for widows" in an attempt to meet new women . This behavior mirrors the pattern of deception that has defined his legal history.
Donald McPherson is currently serving a life sentence in Germany for bank fraud, having previously lived in New Zealand. Despite his current incarceration, the family of Paula Leeson has expressed their outrage and stated they will continue to push the Greater Manchester Police to uncover new evidence that could support a formal retrial for murder.
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