Man who stabbed girlfriend to death in hot tub in Shetland to appeal conviction

A man who murdered his girlfriend by repeatedly stabbing her in a hot tub at his mum’s remote Scottish island home is to appeal his sentence and conviction.

Aren Pearson, 41, stabbed defenceless Claire Leveque, 24, a minimum of 26 times at his mother’s property in Sandness, Shetland, on February 11, 2024.

Jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh heard how 19 of the stab wounds were inflicted on Claire’s face and neck. The attack took place at the end of a campaign of domestic abuse.

Judge Lord Arthurson jailed Pearson for life and was told he’d serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars.

It has now been confirmed that Pearson is looking to appeal both his sentence and conviction.

Claire, who came to Scotland from her home in Canada, was subjected to physical assaults and verbal abuse.

Claire Leveque and Aren Pearson. Claire Leveque

Following the assault, Pearson, a fellow Canadian, repeatedly confessed to inflicting deadly wounds on Claire to a 999 operator and police officers who attended the crime scene.

He also made a confession to medics who treated him for superficial injuries, which he inflicted upon himself at a hospital in Lerwick.

But despite these admissions, Pearson went to trial claiming that he saw Claire repeatedly stab herself and that he wasn’t responsible for murdering her.

His claims caused emotional pain to members of Claire’s family who travelled from their North American homes to hear harrowing evidence describing the full extent of Claire’s injuries.

Jurors found him guilty of murdering and assaulting Claire in the months before her death.

Judge Lord Arthurson jailed Pearson for life and was told he’d serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars.

Moments before this, defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson KC told Lord Arthurson that there was nothing he could say by way of mitigation.

He added: “He has said to me during these proceedings that not a day goes by where he does not think about February 11, 2024, without sadness.”

He added: “We’ve had him psychiatrically examined and there’s nothing by way of mental disorder.”

In her closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Margaret Barron said the overwhelming evidence against Pearson was based on his confessions and other sources of evidence.

‘We were able to get justice for Claire’

Claire’s cousin, Hope Ingram, spoke outside the court following the sentencing of Pearson. She thanked those involved with the investigation and trial for helping the family get “justice”.

Hope described her cousin as a “bubbly, fun girl who brought life to every room that she walked into”.

She said: “Claire was the type of person that could make any person laugh at any moment of time.

“If I were ever having a bad day, the first person I’d go to was Claire because she could make light out of anything. She was such a phenomenal person.

“There truly is a shadow cast over our family now she is gone.”