A SERIAL fraudster who strangled his wealthy heiress wife to death in a bid to cash in on her £4m fortune is “walking free”, an inquest heard.
, Donald McPherson, who wanted to cash in on her £4million fortune before vanishing.
Paula Leeson was found in a pool at a holiday cottage Credit: PA
Donald McPherson killed Paula to try and get her £4m fortune Credit: Channel 5
, 53, was after a judge ordered the jury to find him not guilty in 2021.
Three years later, Judge Mr Justice Richard Smith ruled the fraudster had unlawfully killed her.
The ruling blocked McPherson from inheriting Paula’s £4.4m estate.
Cops told the inquest that McPherson, currently living in New Zealand, should be serving a life sentence for murder.
The inquest heard no retrial for murder can take place unless compelling new evidence is found.
Paula was found dead in the at a remote holiday cottage in where the couple were staying in June 2017.
Paula’s brother Neville Leeson (left) and father Willy Leeson (right) Credit: PA
McPherson claimed he was sleeping when his wife drownedCredit: Not known clear with picture desk
Jurors previously heard Paula suffered 13 separate injuries, which she could have sustained while being restrained or in a resuscitation attempt.
The court was told 5ft 5ins Paula was found in a pool that was under 4ft deep despite being a good swimmer and a healthy mum-of-one.
Paula stood to inherit the family owned by her dad and oversaw the successful skip hire firm where she met McPherson.
She had the “misfortune” meeting the failing and indebted property developer when he came in to hire a skip in 2012.
The pair married in June 2014 following a “whirlwind” romance.
Their “no expense spared” ceremony was held at Peckforton Castle, .
The horror unfolded at a holiday cottage in DenmarkCredit: Not known clear with picture desk
Convicted fraudster Donald McPherson is believed to be living in several countries in the South PacificCredit: Not known clear with picture desk
McPherson used multiple name changes and a “cover story” of being an orphan to hide his past after serving jail time for an £11m bank fraud in .
The court heard he has been convicted of 32 criminal offences of dishonesty or fraud in , where he was born.
He had taken out £3.5m life on the mother-of-one shortly before her death on June 6, 2017.
Within hours of throttling her to death he was emptying her accounts of thousands of pounds to pay off his debts.
He joined a group called Widowed and Young, which he described as “Tinder for Widows”, a week after Paula’s death.
Her family asked a judge to rule that McPherson killed the heiress to stop him benefiting from her £4.4m fortune.
A coroner agreed with the unlawful killing verdict today.
Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Manchester South, told Stockport Coroner’s Court McPherson was heavily in debt and he was the only person to benefit from his wife’s death.
She added: “I am therefore satisfied he did murder his wife. Her death occurred because her husband compressed her neck to render her unconscious, causing her body to enter the pool, causing her to drown, to financially benefit from her death. Her death was as a result of an unlawful killing.”
Earlier, Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Clegg, of Greater Manchester said: “There’s no doubt this was a homicide. She died at his hands. I have not looked for anyone else.”
Sophie Cartwright KC, representing the Leeson family at the inquest, said “investigations are ongoing” and the Leeson family hope police, having in the last 12 months gained access to McPherson’s old laptop, will uncover evidence to “get them over the line for a retrial”, adding: “Their fight will continue after today.”
Paula’s brother Neville told the hearing her life had been taken by McPherson’s “greed”.
He added: “Now the man who murdered her is walking around free.
“Paula has repeatedly been let down by the criminal justice system.
“We will never accept that and will continue fighting for her.”
A court was told McPherson was struggling financially at the time – despite walking around with wads of cash in elastic bands.
Paula’s family said he was “running out of money”, which “super charged the financial motive” for him.
McPherson also “systematically” deleted data from his wife’s phone which may have explained what happened and showed “almost no upset or remorse” over her death, the court heard.
His trial was dramatically halted in 2021 when Mr Justice Goose ruled there was insufficient evidence for jurors to safely convict.
He directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict to murder.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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