Fatal holiday: husband’s lies unravel deadly secret years after poolside death
The case of Paula Leeson, a wealthy businesswoman found drowned in a Danish swimming pool in 2017, has ignited a fresh wave of scrutiny thanks to the re-airing of Channel 5’s chilling documentary, ‘The Drowning of Paula Leeson.’ But the truth, obscured by deception and a desperate flight, has taken years to emerge, revealing a chilling narrative of betrayal and a calculated attempt to erase responsibility.
A charming face, a dark past
Paula Leeson, 47, was a key figure in her family’s civil engineering and skip hire business in Greater Manchester and a mother to one son, Ben. Her idyllic holiday in Denmark with her husband, Donald McPherson, quickly turned into a nightmare. Initially ruled an accident, suspicions mounted as investigators uncovered multiple injuries and the stark reality that Paula, a capable swimmer, drowned in just four feet of water.
The fraudster’s game
Donald McPherson, a New Zealand native with a troubling history, presented an immediate red flag. Records reveal he operated under multiple aliases – Alexander Lang, Donald Anderson – all designed to ‘re-invent himself.’ Before his fateful marriage to Paula, McPherson had already served a prison sentence for a substantial Commerzbank fraud in Germany, a testament to his pattern of deceit. Judges consistently described him as a habitual liar, a man driven by a relentless need to deceive.
A civil court verdict – and a disappearance
Despite being charged with murder, the trial collapsed in 2021 due to insufficient evidence. McPherson vanished, effectively escaping justice. However, three years later, a civil court delivered a devastating blow: a ruling of unlawful killing. The judge, citing overwhelming evidence of lies and dishonesty – including data from Paula’s Fitbit showing a sudden heart rate drop – found that McPherson had rendered Paula unconscious before her death, driven by a calculated motive: life insurance premiums totaling millions. This decision effectively stripped him of any inheritance rights.
The lies exposed
The court’s summary paints a damning picture. “Beyond the pathology evidence, it is no exaggeration to say that lies and dishonesty pervade every aspect of Don’s life,” the judge stated. He lied to Danish police, claiming Paula couldn’t swim, and attempted to fabricate an alibi. The Fitbit data, meticulously analyzed, provided irrefutable evidence of a rapid and alarming decline in Paula’s vital signs – consistent with loss of consciousness.
Where is he now?
McPherson’s current location remains shrouded in secrecy. He failed to appear at the 2024 civil proceedings and was not legally represented. Recent reports suggest he relocated to New Zealand following the failed criminal trial, only to subsequently disappear from public view. His family’s renewed efforts to bring the case to light are, perhaps, a desperate attempt to finally pierce his carefully constructed anonymity.
A plea for justice
Paula’s brother has issued a vehement call for Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to reopen the criminal investigation, citing the compelling Fitbit evidence. Despite the CPS’s reluctance, citing the lack of sufficient strength in the case, the family’s anguish is palpable. The pursuit of justice for Paula Leeson continues, a haunting reminder of a life cut short and a legacy of deceit.