Prosecutor tells jurors at High Court in Edinburgh there is sufficient evidence to find Aren Pearson of murdering Claire Leveque in Sandness
A prosecutor has told jurors there is “sufficient, credible and reliable evidence” to find a man guilty of murdering his girlfriend.
Advocate Margaret Barron urged the jury this morning (Tuesday) to convict Aren Pearson,41, of taking Claire Leveque’s life at his mother’s house in Sandness last year.
In her closing speech to jurors, Ms Barron spoke of how the Crown case against Mr Pearson was built on different sources of evidence.
She said that if the jurors took all the evidence presented to them during the trial, they could be confident that Pearson repeatedly stabbed Miss Leveque on 11th February, 2024.
Ms Barron said: “I submit to you ladies and gentlemen that there is credible, sufficient and reliable evidence in this case to convict the accused on the charges remaining on the indictment.
“I submit to you that you should do that.
“It is clear that the accused was prepared to use violence in his actions towards Claire Leveque.
“There were 55 injuries inflicted on Claire. At least 26 of them were stab wounds - nineteen of them were to her head and neck.
“Claire Leveque was subjected to a brutal and sustained assault which led directly to her death.”
Ms Barron was addressing jurors on the sixth day of proceedings and spoke moments after Pearson, a Canadian citizen, was acquitted of five of seven charges.
He is standing trial on allegations of assaulting Claire and murdering her.
On Tuesday, Ms Barron said the Crown case rested on admissions that Pearson made to a 999 operator during a telephone call made by his mother Hazel Pearson on the day of the alleged murder.
The jurors had earlier heard Pearson say during the phone call: “Hello, hi, my name is Aren Pearson. I’ve just killed my girlfriend in the hot tub in the garage.”
Speaking about this submission, Ms Barron said: “I submit to you that the admissions on the 999 call are clear and unambiguous.”
Ms Barron said that the evidence also showed that he also made other admissions of a similar admission to medical staff.
She spoke of a doctor who gave evidence of Pearson telling her in hospital that he had been trying to get “rid” of Claire for a while”
The advocate depute said that Pearson had also disclosed the location of the injuries which had been inflicted on Claire’s body.
She said the findings of pathologists confirmed Pearson’s account of where her injuries had been.
She added: “I submit that you should find him guilty.”
In his closing speech, defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson KC spoke of how his client told the court that he saw Miss Leveque stab herself “five to six times.”
He spoke of how a pathologist who gave evidence to court was unable to say that the location of injuries on Miss Leveque’s body could not have been inflicted by herself.
Mr Paterson added: “He could only say that it was not realistic.”
He also urged jurors to acquit his client.
He added: “The case must be proven to beyond a reasonable doubt. I say to you that the Crown have not done this.”
Earlier in the day, the Crown withdrew charges against Mr Pearson.
The charges withdrawn by the crown were claims that between 21st October, 2023, and 11th February, 2024, at locations in Shetland, Pearson behaved in a “threatening and abusive manner” towards Claire. He is alleged to have acted aggressively towards her.
Another charge which was withdrawn saw the Crown claiming that on 2md January, 2024, at another property in Sandness, Pearson acted in an aggressive and threatening manner by uttering remarks that he possessed “grenades”.
The fifth charge, which was also withdrawn by the Crown, states that he defeated to attempt the ends of justice following the alleged murder.
He was said to sent messages to Clint Leveque and Arran Jack informing them that he intended to provide Claire with money and a plane ticket.
He was said to have told Mr Leveque that Claire was in “good health” and that he had booked flights for her to return to Canada.
Prosecutors said he undertook these actions to “avoid detection” for murdering Claire and with the “intent to defeat the ends of justice” and that he “did attempt to defeat the ends of justice.”
The sixth charge - which was also withdrawn by the Crown - claims that he acted in a “threatening and abusive manner” by driving a car into the sea and by taking possession of a knife and striking himself with the blade in the neck in the presence of his mother.
The final charge claims he repeatedly shouted, swore and uttered offensive remarks to police officers during a trip in an ambulance between the house where the alleged murder took place and the Gilbert Bain Hospital on 11th February, 2024.
Following the Crown’s decision, Lord Arthurson said: “I formally acquit you of the charges.”
The last two charges which Pearson is standing trial on sees prosecutors claim that on various occasions between 21st October, 2023, and 31st January, 2024, the accused assaulted Claire by inflicting “blunt force trauma” to her head and body.
Prosecutors claim that on 11th February, 2024, at a garage at Ringville, Pearson assaulted Claire, his partner, by repeatedly striking her on the head, neck and body with a knife.
They also claim that Pearson repeatedly inflicted blunt force trauma to her head, neck and body by “means to the prosecutor unknown.”
Prosecutors then claim that Pearson compressed her neck and did “submerge her head and body in water” and that he murdered her.
Pearson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.