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Murder in Shetland: Trial by Jury - Season 1 Episode 2
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00:13The point of a trial is that the Crown lay before a jury in allegation. And that allegation,
00:21in this case, is murder.
00:45In summer of 23, Claire met Aaron Pearson, but we never met him.
00:49Claire didn't tell me that she was seeing this guy until she was already in Scotland.
00:57It all happened so quick and I thought everything was fine.
01:01Did she tell you about any injuries or anything?
01:04Nothing at all. Otherwise, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
01:08My job is to prove to the jury Aaron Pearson killed Claire Levesque.
01:14Mr Levesque, we have some records which suggest there was a telephone call with Aaron Pearson that day.
01:18I don't remember it.
01:20There is no onus on an accused person to disprove the case.
01:26I've got no more questions, thank you.
01:28The Crown have to prove the case.
01:31This is just a horror story from the beginning.
01:35I came here, I left everything behind for you. Why would you hit me?
01:39You're lucky I didn't see how you f***ing did it, okay?
01:42Him trying to walk out of the courtroom was just unbelievable.
01:46The body map shows severe and significant injuries.
01:50Could any of these injuries have been self-inflicted?
01:54Could they in principle have been self-inflicted? Yes.
01:59All that I'm endeavouring to do is ask questions of which may raise doubt in the minds of the jury.
02:06Mr Pearson is to give evidence.
02:09As jurors, you must not be swayed by any emotional consideration which you might have.
02:14Every accused is presumed innocent until proved guilty.
02:17The Crown must establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
02:21No.
02:48So
02:53we had flown into the Shetland Islands then we drove up to sadness it was important so that we
03:01could see the things she loved and and the places that she had sent pictures of
03:10so we could feel like a connection to her there
03:16I think I needed to go there but most of all to see and where she lived and what she
03:23was doing there
03:27you know you picture like somewhere remote but like this is literally in the middle of nowhere
03:35it just makes me feel sick to my stomach
03:43walking up to the house with Clint it felt heavy
03:50I looked in there and I could see where she thought
03:55it hurt
04:15so
04:22I don't know.
04:53Good morning, everyone.
04:59You'll remember that on Friday, the Advocate Deputy closed the Crown case.
05:02Mr Patterson, good morning.
05:05There was a body of evidence led by the Crown,
05:09and thereafter, Mr Pearson has the opportunity
05:12to either give evidence or not give evidence.
05:17We had heard that there was a chance that the accused might take the stand.
05:22Of course, you aren't innocent until you're proven guilty.
05:25He's got every right to not take the stand.
05:28My lord, thank you. Good morning.
05:30Mr Pearson is to give evidence, my lord.
05:37Thank you very much. Would you please come forward, Mr Pearson?
05:43I guess he literally thinks he can win over the jury.
05:48He has to provide an explanation as to how Claire Levesque came to sustain 26 stab wounds.
05:55There are pros and there are cons.
05:57The pros are the accused person may well be believed by the jury,
06:01and the result of that would be an acquittal.
06:04The cons are, of course, that the accused person is then a witness.
06:08They'll be asked questions which could be awkward for them,
06:12and the case will be put to them.
06:18I want to hear what he has to say,
06:20because I don't think any of that's going to make sense.
06:23Mr Pearson?
06:24Yes.
06:26Do you accept that you were ever abusive towards Claire?
06:34Well, yes and no.
06:37There were times where we drank just far too much,
06:40and we were abusive to one another.
06:43We got along great when we were sober.
06:45Everything was really good.
06:47I did love her. I did.
06:49Still do.
06:51Did you ever threaten that you would kill her?
06:54No.
06:57This is a challenging case because of the evidence, of course.
07:00There was a 999 call that was made.
07:03There was an admission by Mr Pearson.
07:07But the issue that was pertinent in relation to the whole case
07:13is what happened before the 999 call was made.
07:18That is the issue in the trial.
07:21Mr Pearson, I'm going to move on and ask you
07:23about the day that Claire Levesque died.
07:29We've seen some CCTV of the two of you
07:32in your car driving to various places.
07:38Yes.
07:38Now, there was a bottle of liquor.
07:43You bought that and you took it back to the shed.
07:46Correct?
07:47Yes.
07:50So, as the afternoon progressed, what happened?
07:56She was in the shed with me,
07:57and I could tell by the tone in her voice
07:59that she was already really drunk.
08:02Did you say anything to her?
08:03I remember requesting that she go to bed,
08:07then she said the words,
08:08fuck you, to me.
08:11What happened the next time you saw Claire?
08:14I was in the shed,
08:16and she had come through the door furious with me,
08:20physically swinging at me.
08:21I believe I had just finished speaking with her father
08:24about sending her back.
08:26I believe I offered him some money.
08:27I told him that I had already booked the flights.
08:31She was really, really, really upset with me.
08:35She had heard me speaking to him.
08:39So, when she came in, what happened next?
08:43She literally punched my top plate denture
08:47right out of my mouth.
08:48What happened then?
08:50She went over to pee in that garbage can
08:54that I had used earlier to bail the water out of the tub.
09:01She was really drunk,
09:02and I was telling her everything she wanted to hear
09:05because she had obviously heard me speaking with her dad,
09:08and she was furious.
09:13Aaron claims that Claire overhears a conversation
09:18between Aaron and her dad.
09:23And in that conversation,
09:26it said that Aaron is going to take Claire back home to Canada.
09:31He's going to go with her
09:32because she can't live here anymore
09:33because of the dreadful alcoholic that he claims that she is.
09:39What happened then?
09:40Next thing I knew, I heard her kind of cough
09:43and kind of choke and then fall,
09:46but with a grey bottle of grey fluid to her mouth.
09:52She appeared to have drunk it.
09:53She had also fallen over on the floor
09:55and was rolling around in her own urine.
09:59There was a struggle on the ground.
10:01She kind of got me in the stomach with her elbow,
10:04at which point she did a really, really epic faceplant
10:08on the arm of the couch.
10:10There was an old black-handled knife
10:12that basically had lived in the garage all the time.
10:16She grabbed the knife
10:19and then she kind of did like a 180,
10:22put the knife in her right hand
10:24and landed in the water.
10:32Just give me one second, please.
10:36My opinion on his defense during this trial is it's a farce.
10:42It's just absolute ridiculousness.
10:46She then looked at me,
10:49looked at the knife
10:51and stuck it in her stomach.
11:11She then looked at me,
11:13looked at the knife
11:15and stuck it in her stomach.
11:19She started screaming
11:20and she repeated
11:22to puncture herself here, I believe, like this.
11:29How many times did she stab herself
11:31when she was in the hot tub?
11:32Well, I would say four or five.
11:36Do you have any recollection
11:37of being in the hot tub with Claire?
11:40No.
11:41Did you take the phone from your mother
11:44and speak to the police?
11:45No recollection of that whatsoever.
11:48No, I don't.
11:49Do you have any recollection
11:50of saying horrible things
11:51and nasty, unpleasant things
11:52to police officers?
11:55No, no, I don't.
11:56No, I don't.
11:59I remember being restrained.
12:04I remember bits and pieces
12:05of being in the hospital.
12:07I do not remember
12:09speaking in the 999 call.
12:15I don't know what happened.
12:21Mr. Pearson,
12:22I don't know more questions.
12:29His evidence
12:30was quite simple, actually.
12:31And I suppose
12:32to put it,
12:33distill it down,
12:34that was Claire Levesque
12:36drinking too much
12:36and then confronting him
12:38and then causing herself
12:40injuries.
12:41And thereafter,
12:42his recollection of events
12:44was very limited.
12:46I have a good deputy.
12:47I expect you have
12:48questions for the witness.
12:50Thank you, Mum.
12:54Good afternoon, Mr. Pearson.
12:57Good afternoon.
12:59In cross-examining Aaron Pearson,
13:02I want to show the inconsistencies
13:04in his evidence.
13:06From the first statement
13:07that he made to his mother
13:08that he'd hurt Claire,
13:09to the position he adopted
13:11at police interview
13:12that he couldn't remember
13:13because he was in shock.
13:16Now, we've heard evidence
13:17during this trial
13:19that on the 11th of February,
13:22Claire Levesque died
13:23and her cause of death
13:25was stab wounds
13:26of the neck and chest,
13:28wasn't it?
13:31Yes, ma'am.
13:33And you inflicted
13:35those stab wounds,
13:36didn't you, Mr. Pearson?
13:37Not that I recall, ma'am.
13:39And she tried
13:40to defend herself
13:41when you were
13:42assaulting her,
13:43didn't she?
13:45Once again, ma'am,
13:46I do not remember.
13:47Do you remember
13:48the photographs,
13:49Mr. Pearson?
13:51Ma'am, I do remember
13:52the photographs,
13:53but I don't remember
13:54doing anything like that.
13:55And that wasn't
13:57the first time
13:57you had hurt Claire,
13:59was it?
14:00The Crown case
14:02is not that Aaron Pearson
14:03suddenly,
14:04out of the blue,
14:05decided to assault
14:06Claire Levesque
14:07on the 11th of February
14:08of 2024.
14:10The Crown case
14:11is that what happened
14:12is in effect
14:13the culmination
14:14of a number of months
14:15of domestically
14:16abusive behaviour.
14:19We heard the recording
14:21that was recorded
14:22on the 12th of December
14:23of 2023.
14:24Claire Levesque
14:25says to you,
14:26you beat the shit
14:27out of me
14:27on my 24th birthday.
14:29I see that, yes.
14:31And you tell her
14:32that was the second time?
14:34That was the second time
14:35we had a significant argument.
14:37No, so you don't
14:37deny beating her up,
14:38you accept that
14:39you beat her up
14:40on the 24th of November,
14:41is that right?
14:42I reciprocated, yes.
14:44So by reciprocated,
14:45do you mean
14:45you hit her?
14:46After being punched
14:47in the head
14:48several times, yes.
14:49Mr. Pearson?
14:50Ma'am, this is...
14:51Mr. Pearson?
14:51Okay, so my apologies,
14:53my apologies.
14:53The question was,
14:54did you hit her?
14:55Yes.
14:56Yes, I did.
15:05She's just ear-to-ear grinning.
15:08I love this one.
15:09At the beach,
15:10she was eating
15:10like a pile of sand
15:11and then later
15:13she's spitting it out.
15:19Claire was a very prominent
15:21part of my life
15:22growing up
15:23and through later years
15:24of her life.
15:27we spent
15:28our whole childhood
15:29together.
15:39In late November,
15:41I received some messages
15:42from Claire
15:45that kind of changed
15:47the story
15:47about the safety
15:48of where she was.
15:50She said that
15:51she had been abused
15:53by Erin Pearson.
15:56Upon hearing that,
15:57I grew very worried
15:59and very concerned
16:00about her well-being.
16:02I was telling her,
16:03like, if it happens once,
16:04it's going to happen again.
16:05You've got to get
16:05out of this situation.
16:06You've got to get out of here.
16:08I started implementing
16:10a plan to come pick her up
16:12to get Claire home
16:13and get her out
16:14of this relationship
16:16safely.
16:17But the next day,
16:19she said that
16:19everything was fine,
16:20that everything was okay
16:21and that everything
16:22was worked out.
16:24But my gut, though,
16:25I just knew something
16:26wasn't right.
16:30I was going to come
16:30pick her up.
16:34If I would have just
16:35came a little bit sooner,
16:39I'd miss her a lot.
16:51You told your mum
16:52on the 11th of February
16:54of 2024
16:55that you had hurt Claire,
16:57didn't you?
16:59According to my mum, yes.
17:02And that was after
17:03you had returned
17:04to the house
17:05after driving your car
17:07into the sea,
17:08wasn't it?
17:09According to my mum, yes.
17:14the crown case
17:16is that after
17:16Aaron Pearson
17:17had either killed
17:19Claire Levesque
17:20or injured her
17:21so badly
17:21that he thought
17:22that he had killed her,
17:24he drove his car
17:25into the sea
17:26at a point
17:27very close by
17:28to the house
17:29in Sanis.
17:36Aaron had already
17:37got quite a reputation
17:38for his fast driving
17:40across the island.
17:49He had a very fancy
17:51silver Porsche.
17:52He drove it everywhere,
17:54he set up a YouTube channel.
18:01and Claire.
18:03You would buy into that,
18:04wouldn't you?
18:06This is a wealthy man,
18:07he's got a Porsche.
18:10And I also heard
18:12that the reason
18:13he had the Porsche
18:14was that he was
18:15buying and selling drugs
18:18on that island.
18:19but nothing
18:20was ever proven.
18:26How long would it take
18:27you to drive
18:28from the house
18:29to the point
18:31where we saw
18:31the tyre tracks
18:32going off
18:33onto the grass
18:34and then into the sea?
18:36In a hypothetical scenario,
18:38because once again
18:38I can't remember doing it,
18:40but in a hypothetical scenario,
18:41it could be seconds
18:43to a minute,
18:44maybe?
18:57Now,
18:58I don't know
18:58why Aaron Pearson
19:00drove his car
19:00into the sea.
19:01That's for him
19:02to explain.
19:03But it adds
19:04to our timeline.
19:05Because having visited
19:07the island,
19:08I know that that beach
19:09is only a very short drive
19:11from the house.
19:15So if you
19:16drove into the sea,
19:18swam to the shore
19:20and then walked back,
19:21you could probably
19:21do all of that
19:22in about 15 minutes,
19:23maybe 10 minutes,
19:24would that be fair to say?
19:26It would be fair to say that.
19:32He is seen
19:33walking back
19:34from the beach area
19:35at about
19:36quarter to five
19:37in the evening.
19:39I just thought
19:40that it was
19:41weird
19:42that
19:42that he was just
19:44walking
19:44back to the house.
19:46That, to me,
19:48was extremely weird.
19:52And again,
19:53that's a key marker
19:54in the timeline
19:55because it's shortly
19:57after that
19:57that we have
19:58the 999 call
19:59made by Janet Pearson.
20:02She's bleeding
20:03and dying
20:04in a hot tub.
20:08Why did you drive
20:10your car into the sea?
20:12Again,
20:12I can't remember
20:13doing that.
20:14So did you do that
20:15after you had stabbed
20:17Claire Levesque
20:17multiple times,
20:18Mr Pearson?
20:19I did not stab
20:20Claire multiple times
20:21to my knowledge.
20:22And you inflicted
20:24superficial wounds
20:25to your neck.
20:28according to the
20:29photograph
20:29and my mum.
20:31You told the
20:32999 operator
20:33that you killed her
20:35because she drank
20:37too much
20:37and acted like
20:39an idiot
20:39and she pissed you off.
20:42Yeah,
20:42that was me.
20:44But once again,
20:45I can't remember
20:45saying it.
20:46Well, the question
20:47isn't about
20:48what you remember,
20:49Mr Pearson.
20:49I'm just making
20:50myself clear.
20:50I didn't want you
20:51to twist my words.
20:53You assaulted her
20:54by stabbing her
20:5526 times,
20:57Mr Pearson.
20:59How many times
21:00do I need
21:01to repeat myself,
21:02ma'am?
21:05It was such
21:05a violent assault
21:06that it left
21:07a piece of the knife
21:08embedded in her skull
21:09and you did that,
21:10didn't you?
21:12That's what the evidence
21:13is saying,
21:14I suppose.
21:16It was just
21:17the constant
21:17I don't know,
21:19I don't know,
21:20ma'am,
21:20like,
21:20I don't know.
21:21It was like,
21:24why did you even
21:24take the stand?
21:35So Crown Production 87
21:37is the transcript
21:38of the interview
21:39that was conducted
21:40on the 13th of February
21:42of 2024
21:43at Lowick Police Office.
21:45At the top of page three,
21:47the police officer says,
21:48OK,
21:49you know,
21:49she's obviously
21:50passed away
21:51and you say,
21:52yeah,
21:52I've been hearing
21:53it in here.
21:54Yeah,
21:55one of the officers
21:56told me in there,
21:57yeah.
21:58So are you saying
21:59that it wasn't
22:00until you were
22:00interviewed by police
22:02on the 13th of February
22:03that you knew
22:03that Claire had died?
22:05That's correct.
22:07You took a video
22:08of yourself
22:09sitting in the hot tub
22:10with Claire
22:11in the hot tub,
22:11didn't you?
22:12I highly doubt that.
22:32Aaron Pearson says
22:34he can't remember
22:35what happened
22:36after he said
22:38Claire had stabbed herself.
22:39but there was a video
22:40that he had
22:41recorded himself
22:44and I want to
22:45use that
22:46to again
22:47point out
22:47an inconsistency
22:49in his account.
22:51He was
22:52in the hot tub
22:55with Claire still
22:56when the police
22:58showed up.
22:59My lord,
23:00I wish to play
23:01that particular piece
23:02of video
23:02just 15 seconds
23:03and if you can
23:04listen carefully
23:05to it as well,
23:06Mr. Pearson.
23:07Sure, okay.
23:14Come on in!
23:16Fucking goo.
23:20Fuck you,
23:20you fucking pig.
23:26Now that's your voice,
23:27isn't it,
23:27Mr. Pearson?
23:28It is, ma'am.
23:28Yeah.
23:29We see a hand there,
23:30Mr. Pearson,
23:32and that's Claire Levesque
23:34in the hot tub
23:34with you.
23:35I'm not sure.
23:37I don't see...
23:39So you're in the hot tub.
23:40I can't confirm
23:41because,
23:42like I said,
23:42I don't...
23:45I don't know.
23:45Mr. Pearson,
23:46I can show
23:47the footage
23:47that shows her face.
23:48I'm loathe to do that.
23:49No, please don't.
23:50Please don't.
23:50I can't.
23:53If you're required
23:54to do it,
23:54advocate,
23:54then you proceed
23:56as you see fit.
23:57Thank you, ma'am.
23:57If we can...
23:58Again,
23:58I warn those
23:59who are in the court
23:59that this will show
24:01the face of the deceased
24:03very briefly.
24:05I'm conscious
24:06that these kinds
24:07of images
24:08are very distressing.
24:10And while it's something
24:11that I don't choose
24:12to do lightly,
24:14if it's an important
24:15piece of evidence,
24:15I will have to show
24:17that piece of evidence.
24:21I'm not looking at it.
24:25I didn't even recognise her.
24:28She was so pale.
24:30And you...
24:31I didn't recognise her face.
24:33It was just...
24:35It was awful.
24:37I wasn't expecting that
24:39at all.
24:41There is an audible
24:43intake of breath
24:45when we're shown Claire
24:46in the hot tub.
24:47The jury
24:49have their head
24:50in their hands.
24:52Some of them
24:53are crying.
24:55Can we just stop
24:56that there?
24:59I can only imagine
25:00how tough it is
25:02for the officers.
25:05Somebody is
25:06so, so severely injured
25:08and somebody's just
25:10confessed to actually
25:10killing them
25:11on the phone
25:12while they're actively
25:14driving to this call.
25:20We obviously saw it
25:21just there
25:22when we were at the house
25:23and...
25:24But you just don't
25:25think about it
25:25at the time.
25:27The only time
25:28I really thought
25:29about things
25:30was when I saw
25:30a picture of Claire
25:31in the local press
25:33and it was just a shock
25:35because you're just
25:37seeing a young lass,
25:38like a pretty young lass
25:39and that's not the person
25:41that I saw
25:42in the garage.
25:47Now, we saw
25:48the face of Claire Levesque
25:50in that video,
25:51Mr. Pearson.
25:53Okay.
25:54You took that video,
25:55didn't you?
25:57I'm assuming so.
25:59And yet you wished
26:00to maintain
26:00that you did not know
26:01that Claire was dead
26:02when the police
26:03interviewed you
26:04two days later.
26:07I maintain that, ma'am.
26:09You were angry.
26:11You were shouting
26:11and swearing
26:12at the police
26:13when Claire was lying
26:14dead in that hot tub,
26:16weren't you,
26:16Mr. Pearson?
26:18Yes, in that video, yeah.
26:20You murdered Claire Levesque,
26:22didn't you?
26:22As far as I remember,
26:24no, ma'am.
26:25No further questions.
26:26Thank you, Mound.
26:31He couldn't explain
26:32what he had done
26:33that day,
26:34so he was now
26:34making up a story
26:35and in doing so,
26:37he was further
26:38abusing Claire.
26:54Members of the jury,
26:55you are now ready
26:56to proceed
26:56to the next phase
26:57of the trial
26:58in which counsel
26:58will be addressing you
26:59directly from the lectern.
27:00Please feel free
27:01to continue to take
27:02whatever notes you think
27:03will assist you
27:04in your deliberations.
27:09The jury has a lot
27:11to consider.
27:12I have to be able
27:13to establish
27:14beyond a reasonable doubt
27:15that Aaron Pearson
27:16not only killed Claire Levesque
27:18but that he murdered her.
27:21And that's a slightly
27:22different test.
27:24I now invite
27:25the Advocate Depute
27:26to address you
27:27for the Crown.
27:27Advocate Depute.
27:28Thank you, Mr. Pearson.
27:31Thank you, my Lord.
27:33Good morning,
27:34members of the jury.
27:36You're going to kill me.
27:39That is what
27:40Claire Levesque
27:41said to the accused
27:42Aaron Pearson
27:43on the 12th of December
27:45of 2023.
27:48Just two short months later,
27:51Aaron Pearson
27:52said to a 999 call operator,
27:56my name is Aaron Pearson.
27:58I've just killed
28:00my girlfriend
28:00in the hot tub
28:01in the garage
28:03at Ringville,
28:04the annex, Sanis.
28:06He went on
28:07to describe
28:08how he had
28:09definitely killed her
28:10to make sure
28:12I drowned her
28:13after I stabbed her
28:15several times
28:16and beat her
28:17the fuck up
28:18really badly.
28:24Obviously,
28:25what was said
28:26in that 999 call
28:27was a very significant
28:29piece of evidence
28:31in the trial.
28:32there's no
28:33getting away
28:34from that.
28:34Now, of course,
28:35Mr. Pearson
28:36explained that
28:37he couldn't
28:38recollect
28:38that 999 call
28:40and that was
28:41his position
28:41he adopted.
28:43This is a
28:44very tragic
28:45set of events
28:48but what you can't
28:49do, members
28:50of the jury,
28:51is to bring
28:52emotions
28:53into your
28:54decision making.
28:55In Scotland,
28:57the level
28:58or standard
28:59of proof
28:59is proof
29:01beyond
29:02a reasonable
29:03doubt.
29:03What I say
29:05to almost
29:06every jury
29:06that I speak
29:07to is this,
29:08if you were
29:11to pause
29:11or hesitate
29:12in relation
29:14to an
29:16allegation,
29:17that pause,
29:18that hesitation,
29:20our law says
29:21is a reasonable
29:21doubt.
29:23Your duty
29:24is then
29:25to acquit.
29:29When Claire
29:30says to
29:31Aaron Pearson
29:32you beat the
29:32shit out of me
29:33on my 24th
29:34birthday,
29:34his response
29:35was not a
29:36denial.
29:37No,
29:37what he said
29:38was that
29:38was the
29:39second time.
29:41He also
29:42appears to
29:42blame Claire
29:43for him
29:44hitting her.
29:45Does that
29:46sound familiar?
29:48Because on
29:48the evidence
29:49we heard
29:49yesterday
29:50and today,
29:51Aaron Pearson
29:52appears to
29:53blame Claire
29:53Levesque
29:54for inflicting
29:55the stab wounds
29:56on herself.
29:58The suggestion
29:59made by the
30:00Crown to
30:00Mr Pearson
30:01was that
30:01his testimony
30:02was fabricated
30:02and not
30:04true,
30:05but I suppose
30:07my function
30:07is to look
30:08at the evidence
30:08and try and
30:09say, well,
30:10these are the
30:11aspects which
30:12support him.
30:15I'm asking
30:16you to bring
30:16your common
30:16sense to
30:17this.
30:18If he's
30:18just going
30:18to come
30:18up with
30:19a fabricated
30:20total nonsense
30:21of a story,
30:24why not just
30:24say she did
30:25everything to
30:26herself?
30:27Because he's
30:27not said
30:27that.
30:29He said
30:29he's got
30:30no memory.
30:31He said
30:32he saw
30:32inflicting
30:33wounds to
30:34herself,
30:35there being
30:35blood and
30:36then no
30:36memory.
30:38It may be
30:39members of the
30:39jury come to
30:40the view
30:40that perhaps
30:42she had
30:43had too
30:44much to
30:44drink.
30:45Perhaps
30:45she was
30:47drunk.
30:51The
30:52pathologist
30:52told you
30:53it's entirely
30:54unrealistic to
30:55suggest Claire
30:56Levesque
30:57inflicted
30:58those style
30:58wounds on
30:59herself.
31:00It didn't
31:01seem to
31:01suggest that
31:02they couldn't
31:02have happened.
31:04It may be
31:05members of the
31:05jury that you're
31:06left thinking,
31:06well,
31:07where are we
31:08with that
31:09evidence?
31:12This is what
31:13his whole life
31:13is riding on.
31:15Suicide.
31:16Claire killing
31:16herself and
31:17doing this to
31:18herself.
31:19I thought it
31:20was a joke.
31:21The evidence
31:22tells you,
31:23members of the
31:24jury,
31:24Aaron Pearson
31:25murdered Claire
31:26Levesque.
31:28If he's going
31:28to lie,
31:30you know,
31:31you might think
31:32it would be a
31:32big lie.
31:34But if he's
31:35telling the truth,
31:36members of the
31:36jury,
31:38you ought to
31:39acquit him.
31:47So,
31:48members of the
31:48jury,
31:49you've now
31:49heard all the
31:50evidence in
31:50this case.
31:51For the
31:52Crown to
31:52prove the
31:53crime of
31:53murder,
31:54you would
31:54have to be
31:54satisfied beyond
31:55reasonable doubt
31:56that the
31:56accused,
31:57Aaron Pearson,
31:59killed Claire
32:00Levesque on
32:0011th February
32:012024.
32:03The starting
32:04point of the
32:05Crown case is
32:05what the
32:06advocate
32:06deputy
32:06characterised
32:07as the
32:07admission
32:08evidence
32:08featuring in
32:09the 999
32:09call,
32:10which the
32:11advocate
32:11deputy
32:12described as
32:12a remarkably
32:13accurate
32:14account of
32:14events.
32:15The advocate
32:16deputy also
32:16referred you
32:17to the
32:17hot tub
32:18video and
32:18to further
32:19comments made
32:20by the
32:20accused to
32:20police
32:21witnesses.
32:22The advocate
32:23deputy submitted
32:24that corroboration
32:25for this
32:25evidence could
32:26be and was
32:27located in the
32:28evidence of
32:28Dr.
32:28Ainsworth on
32:29the sites and
32:30number of
32:30injuries,
32:31the force
32:32required to
32:32inflict them,
32:33and the
32:33issue of
32:34self-infliction.
32:36Mr.
32:37Patterson advanced
32:37the following
32:38submissions.
32:39Dr.
32:40Ainsworth's
32:41testimony did
32:42not go to
32:42that point of
32:44suggesting that
32:44self-infliction was
32:45utterly impossible
32:47or could not
32:47have happened.
32:48And you may be
32:49left wondering,
32:50Mr.
32:51Patterson observed,
32:52where Dr.
32:53Ainsworth's opinion
32:53takes you as a
32:54jury.
32:55When you look at
32:56the whole evidence
32:57and the support
32:58for Mr.
32:59Pearson's account,
33:00in particular in
33:01the messages,
33:02you may come to
33:03the view that
33:04the Crown has
33:04failed to prove
33:05that Mr.
33:06Pearson is guilty
33:07on murder.
33:10You are the
33:11judges of the
33:12facts, and you
33:13decide what's been
33:14proved and what
33:15hasn't.
33:16It's all a
33:17matter for you.
33:25Whenever a jury
33:26goes out to
33:26consider their
33:27verdict, I can't
33:28second-guess what
33:29that verdict will
33:29be.
33:30And it is very
33:31nerve-wracking.
33:36I'm wondering,
33:37have the Crown
33:38done enough here?
33:41Some juries can be
33:42quick, some can be
33:43slow.
33:45Some can take
33:46five minutes, some
33:46can take five hours
33:47or five days.
33:49You don't know
33:50what's going on in
33:50the jury deliberation
33:51room.
33:52What are the arguments
33:53other people are
33:53making?
33:54Did something stick
33:55out to them that
33:56didn't stick out
33:56to me?
34:01Mr. Pearson has
34:03explained his
34:04position, so it's
34:06over to the jury to
34:07decide whether or not
34:07the Crown have proved
34:08the case beyond a
34:09reasonable doubt, which
34:10is a very high
34:10standard, a very high
34:12standard.
34:13In the High Court of
34:14Justiciary, in Court
34:15Number One, this is a
34:17verdict.
34:24Of the seven original
34:25charges, only two remain.
34:28Charge two is a charge
34:30of domestic abuse over a
34:32prolonged period of time.
34:33And charge number four,
34:35of course, murder.
34:47I hope that having done my job
34:49properly, I've given them
34:51sufficient evidence that they
34:52can rely on.
34:53But the jury verdict is a jury
34:54verdict.
35:09Good afternoon, thank you.
35:18Members of the jury, will your
35:20spokesperson please stand up?
35:26Have you reached your
35:27verdict?
35:28Yes.
35:29What is your verdict in
35:30respect of Aaron Bylock
35:32Pearson on charge two on the
35:34indictment?
35:35Guilty.
35:36Is that a unanimous or a
35:37majority decision?
35:39Unanimous.
35:40What is your verdict in
35:41respect of Aaron Bylock
35:42Pearson on charge four on the
35:44indictment?
35:45Guilty.
35:46Is that a unanimous or a
35:48majority decision?
35:49Unanimous.
35:54Members of the jury, thank you
35:56for your attention.
36:01I had no doubt in my mind
36:03there was going to be anybody
36:04on his side.
36:08Of course he did it.
36:10There is no defence.
36:12Aaron Bylock Pearson, that you
36:14have today on the unanimous
36:15verdict of the jury been
36:16convicted of a crime of
36:18exceptional depravity, namely
36:20the murder of Miss Claire
36:21Levesque.
36:22Your own evidence was, in my
36:24view, an exercise from start
36:25to finish in victim blaming.
36:27This malicious, vindictive and
36:29wholly fabricated account
36:30suggests certainly to me that
36:32you have sought to continue to
36:34humiliate your victim after her
36:35death, even in this courtroom in
36:37the presence of her grieving
36:48family.
36:50You stole my little girl, my best
36:54friend, my life.
36:56Hey, there's Claire going home.
36:58I will not get to hug my
36:59daughter again, to see her smile
37:01or hear her laugh.
37:02There's Claire and her daddy.
37:05You stole the children she would
37:06have had.
37:07I will never get to be a
37:09grandpa to her babies.
37:11You stole my life.
37:13I am not happy like I once was.
37:16In fact, I feel guilty when I
37:18feel any happiness.
37:20Her light is gone.
37:22You stole Claire's light.
37:25I am not a hateful man.
37:28However, I hate you.
37:30Absolutely.
37:31I hate that you get to wake up
37:33each day, and she will not.
37:36I hate that you live, and she
37:38does not.
37:41You stole my little girl, and yet
37:45you get to live.
37:47How is that fair?
37:49It's great.
37:52Ms. Levesque died a squalid death
37:54of quite unimaginable,
37:57multifaceted violence.
37:58This was a sustained episode of
38:00Feral Butchery.
38:02Aaron Pearson's stand-up.
38:05On charge two, you will serve a
38:06sentence of imprisonment of two
38:08years.
38:09On charge four, I now pass upon you,
38:11on a concurrent basis, a sentence
38:13of imprisonment for life.
38:14I fix the punishment part of this
38:16disposal at a period of 25 years.
38:18That is all.
38:27As he said, 25 years, I watched him
38:30tense like a ball, and I just
38:32thought, good.
38:34Good.
38:36He deserves it.
38:37He had no mercy.
38:38He deserves none.
38:39And that's how I feel.
38:54I express my thanks to
38:55councillor.
38:56Thank you, Lord.
38:57Thank you, Lord.
38:57Thank you, Lord.
38:58Thank you, Lord.
39:00I've known a few people who are
39:03murderers.
39:05Aaron Pearson is the most
39:07cold-blooded
39:09murderer I have
39:11ever come across.
39:21There's no chance of
39:22forgiveness.
39:24These people don't belong in
39:26society.
39:29There's no fixing this type.
39:33It was important for me to find
39:36Clint and Jenny to see how they
39:38were.
39:41It was clearly an emotional
39:42time for them.
39:43And it was also a very emotional
39:45meeting.
39:47I gave her a hug because she did
39:49such a good job.
39:50She was good.
39:52She was our voice.
39:54She was our fight.
39:57I can't imagine what it was like
40:00for Clint and Jenny and Claire's
40:02family to sit through the evidence.
40:04It was harrowing at times.
40:07It was graphic at times.
40:09But they showed remarkable strength
40:11and dignity in sitting through that
40:13evidence.
40:28Today we were able to get justice for Claire and hopefully start a new path and helping other victims suffering
40:36from domestic violence and being able to move forward and come forward.
40:40Claire was so isolated in Shetland, but she was such a phenomenal person and I miss her terribly.
41:03Oh, there's, there's, I don't know, a woodpecker, but Claire and I, like, we'd meet up after work.
41:11She was always up for a good walk.
41:13All these trails have memories of our conversations.
41:20Claire was out in Shetland, all alone and so far away from everybody who loved and cared about her.
41:31But I didn't think I was going to get a call saying she was killed.
41:40Although I don't see her on those trails anymore, I feel her presence.
41:44It's a tough couple of weeks.
41:49I miss her so much.
41:51I miss her so much.
42:15We were able to go and spend some time on the beach that she loved.
42:24Where she was walking the dog.
42:35It's nice to actually see it, like, be here.
42:38I feel closer.
42:43And we were lucky enough to be able to bring back some stones.
42:48It's not much, but just to have something from a place that she loved.
42:57I remember my sister, Claire, as a bright and bold, really a one-of-a-kind soul.
43:06I want her to be remembered for the beautiful girl that she was.
43:14She'll forever be in my heart.
43:24Me, Hope, William.
43:28That's for them.
43:33My daughter was being abused.
43:38And now I see it.
43:42Every day I miss her.
43:45Every day.
43:46Every day I miss her.
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