Murder accused told doctor he had 'been trying to get rid of girlfriend for a while'

A man accused of murdering his girlfriend told an A&E doctor that he had been trying to get “rid of her for a while”, a court has heard.

A doctor told jurors that Aren Pearson, 41, made the remarks after being admitted to casualty in Lerwick, Shetland, on February 11, 2024.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Pearson had been taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital after being detained in connection with the death of his girlfriend Claire Leveque, 24.

The jury heard how Pearson told staff that he had stabbed himself in the neck, had consumed brake fluid and had driven his car, which the jury has heard was a Porsche, off a pier.

This prompted doctors to administer an antidote for the brake fluid and to order a CT scan to investigate his neck injuries.

The doctor told prosecutor Margaret Barron that Pearson also made a remark during his time at the medical facility.

Ms Barron asked the medic: “Did he say something that stuck with you?”

The locum consultant in accident and emergency medicine, replied: “He said ‘I’ve been trying to get rid of her for a while.’”

The evidence emerged on the third day of proceedings against Pearson. He is a Canadian citizen who is standing trial for murdering Ms Leveque, a fellow Canadian, at his mother’s home in Sandness, Shetland, on February 11, 2024.

The court earlier heard evidence of how Ms Leveque was discovered in a hot tub containing blood in a garage at the property.

The doctor told Ms Barron that her colleagues administered an antidote for the brake fluid, which Pearson said he had consumed.

She told the court that he was kept in hospital for observation. Colleagues had reported that Mr Pearson had expressed feelings of “suicide ideation”.

She said Mr Pearson was later assessed by a consultant psychiatrist who found that he wasn’t suffering from any mental illness which prevented him from being released to the police.

Notes from a report prepared by the psychiatrist were then shown to the jury.

The jury saw a remark which stated that there was “no evidence of any acute mood disorder or psychiatric illness” being experienced at that point in time by Mr Pearson.

The report stated that Mr Pearson was providing the psychiatrist with “fully relevant and coherent” information.

The psychiatrist wrote: “I am of the opinion that Mr Pearson is fit to be interviewed.”

She added that a police interview wouldn’t present any “risk of harm” to the accused.

The jurors also heard a second statement of evidence, which has been agreed by prosecutors and defence lawyers as being proven and uncontroversial.

In this statement, jurors were that a black handled kitchen knife was found with a small section of the tip of the blade.

The knife edge bore stains, which were found to have traces of blood.

Earlier in the day, a witness told the court of how she lived close to Pearson’s mother Hazel.

She said that on January 2, 2024, Pearson came to her home wearing only jogging bottoms, and she was concerned by how he looked.

She said: “There was blood on his face, his body and his hands.

“He told me he punched his teeth out, and his teeth were on a plate. He was very erratic and not calm.”

She said that Pearson had told her that he was planning to take his own life.

She added: “I asked him how he was going to do it. He was telling me he was going to do it – he had three grenades.

“I was very concerned about what was happening and frightened.”

She said she phoned relatives who were attending at a nearby party to come and help her deal with Pearson who later went to bed.

A forensic pathologist told jurors that he conducted a post-mortem on Ms Leveque.

He said there was a “minimum” of 55 distinct injuries on her body. He said there were more than 25 injuries to her head and body, including at least 19 stab wounds to the head and neck.

Aren Pearson, a Canadian citizen, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Leveque and other charges at his late mother Hazel’s home in Sandness, Shetland, in February 2024.

The trial, before judge Lord Arthurson, continues on Friday.

Pearson faces a total of seven charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The trial, before judge Lord Arthurson, continues