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Murder In Shetland: Trial By Jury - Season 1 Episode 2
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00:06in court number one his majesty's advocate against Aaron Pearson the point of a trial is that the
00:16crown lay before a jury an allegation and that allegation in this case his murder
00:25what's the emergency there hi my name is Aaron Pearson I just killed my girlfriend in a hot tub
00:31in the garage I stabbed her about 40 times in the heart and in the stomach and in the face
00:38and in
00:39the neck and in the back what's your girlfriend's name Claire Levesque in summer of 23 Claire met Aaron
00:47Pearson but we never met him Claire didn't tell me that she was seeing this guy until she was already
00:55in Scotland it all happened so quick and I thought everything was fine did she tell you about any
01:03injuries or nothing at all otherwise maybe this wouldn't happen my job is to prove to the jury
01:10Aaron Pearson killed Claire Levesque we have some records which suggest there was a telephone call
01:17with Aaron Pearson that day don't remember it there is no onus on an accused person to disprove the
01:24case I've got no more questions thank you the crown have to prove the case this is just a horror
01:33story from the beginning I can't get I left everything behind for you won't you hit me you're lucky
01:39okay him trying to walk out of the courtroom was just unbelievable
01:45the body map shows severe and significant injuries could any of these injuries have been
01:53self-inflicted could they in principle have been self-inflicted yes all that I'm endeavoring to do
02:01is ask questions of which may raise doubt in the minds of the jury and mr Pearson is to give
02:08evidence
02:08as jurors you must not be swayed by any emotional consideration which you might have every accused
02:15is presumed innocent until proved guilty the crown must establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt
02:23so
02:34you
02:35you
02:35you
02:53we had flown into the shetland islands then we drove up to sadness it was important so
03:01that we could 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 most of all to see and where she lived and what she was
03:24doing 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 glint it felt heavy i looked in there and i could see where she
03:52thought
03:54it hurt
04:24I don't know.
05:04There was a body of evidence led by the Crown and 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.
05:26He's got every right to not take the stand.
05:29My 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.
06:01The 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 and the case will be put to them.
06:18I want to hear what he has to say because 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 and 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.
06:48I did.
06:49Still do.
06:52Did 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 is what happened before the 999 call was
07:17made.
07:18That is the issue in the trial.
07:21Mr Pearson, I'm going to move on and ask you about the day that Claire Levesque died.
07:29We've seen some CCTV of the two of you in your car driving to various places.
07:38Yes.
07:39Now, 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 and I could tell by the tone in her voice that she was
08:00already really drunk.
08:02Did you say anything to her?
08:04I remember requesting that she go to bed.
08:07Then she said the words, fuck you, to me.
08:11What happened the next time you saw Claire?
08:13I was in the shed and she had come through the door furious with me, physically swinging at me.
08:21I believe I had just finished speaking with her father about sending her back.
08:26I believe I offered him some money.
08:28I told him that I had already booked the flights.
08:32She 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 right out of my mouth.
08:49What happened then?
08:50She went over to pee in that garbage can that I used earlier to bail the water out of the
08:59tub.
09:01She was really drunk and I was telling her everything she wanted to hear because she had obviously heard me
09:07speaking with her dad.
09:08She was furious.
09:12Aaron claims that Claire overhears a conversation between Aaron and her dad.
09:23And in that conversation, it said that Aaron is going to take Claire back home to Canada.
09:31He's going to go with her because she can't live here anymore because of the dreadful alcoholic that he claims
09:36that she is.
09:39What happened then?
09:41Next thing I knew, I heard her kind of cough and kind of choke and then fall, but with a
09:48grey bottle of grey fluid to her mouth, she appeared to have drunk it.
09:53She had also fallen over on the floor and 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, at which point she did a really, really epic
10:07faceplant on the arm of the couch.
10:10There was an old black-handled knife that basically had lived in the garage all the time.
10:16She grabbed the knife.
10:19And then she kind of did like a 180, put the knife in her right hand and landed in the
10:25water.
10:32Give me one second, please.
10:37My opinion on his defense during this trial is, it's a farce.
10:43It's just absolute ridiculousness.
10:46She then looked at me, looked at the knife, and stuck it in her stomach.
11:11She then looked at me, looked at the knife, and stuck it in her stomach.
11:19She started screaming, and she repeated to puncture herself here, I believe, like this.
11:29How many times did she stab herself when she was in the hot tub?
11:32Well, I would say four or five.
11:36Do you have any recollection of being in the hot tub with Claire?
11:40No.
11:41Did you take the phone from your mother and speak to the police?
11:46No recollection of that whatsoever.
11:48No, I don't.
11:49Do you have any recollection of saying horrible things and nasty, unpleasant things to police officers?
11:55No, no, I don't.
11:57No, I don't.
11:59I remember being restrained.
12:04I remember bits and pieces of being in the hospital.
12:07I do not remember speaking in the 999 call.
12:15I don't know what happened.
12:21Mr. Pearson, I don't know where questions.
12:29His evidence was quite simple, actually, and I suppose to put it, to still it down, that
12:35was Claire Levesque drinking too much, and then confronting him, and then causing herself
12:40injuries.
12:41And thereafter, his recollection of events was very limited.
12:46Now, advocate, deputy, I expect you have questions for the witness.
12:50Thank you, Louise.
12:54Good afternoon, Mr. Pearson.
12:57Good afternoon.
13:00In cross-examining Aaron Pearson, I want to show the inconsistencies in his evidence.
13:06From the first statement that he made to his mother that he'd hurt Claire, to the position
13:10he adopted at police interview that he couldn't remember, because he was in shock.
13:15Now, we've heard evidence during this trial that on the 11th of February, Claire Levesque died,
13:23and her cause of death was stab wounds of the neck and chest, wasn't it?
13:31Oh, yes, ma'am.
13:33And you inflicted those stab wounds, didn't you, Mr. Pearson?
13:37Not that I recall, ma'am.
13:39And she tried to defend herself when you were assaulting her, didn't she?
13:45Once again, ma'am, I do not remember.
13:48Do you remember the photographs, Mr. Pearson?
13:51Ma'am, I do remember the photographs, but I don't remember doing anything like that.
13:55And that wasn't the first time you had hurt Claire, was it?
14:00The Crown case is not that Aaron Pearson, suddenly out of the blue,
14:05decided to assault Claire Levesque on the 11th of February of 2024.
14:10The Crown case is that what happened is in effect the culmination
14:14of a number of months of domestically abusive behaviour.
14:19We heard the recording that was recorded on the 12th of December of 2023.
14:25Claire Levesque says to you,
14:26you beat the shit out of me on my 24th birthday.
14:30I see that, yes.
14:31And you tell her that was the second time?
14:34That was the second time we had a significant argument.
14:37No, so you don't deny beating her up,
14:38you accept that you beat her up on the 24th of November, is that right?
14:42I reciprocated, yes.
14:44So by reciprocated, do you mean you hit her?
14:46After being punched in the head several times, yes.
14:49Mr. Pearson?
14:50Ma'am, this is...
14:51Mr. Pearson?
14:52Okay, so my apologies, my apologies.
14:53The question was, did 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, she was eating like a pile of sand,
15:12and then later she's spitting it out.
15:19Claire was a very prominent part of my life growing up
15:23and through later years of her life.
15:27We spent our whole childhood together.
15:39In late November, I received some messages from Claire
15:45that kind of changed the story about the safety of where she was.
15:50She said that she had been abused by Erin Pearson.
15:56And upon hearing that, I grew very worried
15:59and very concerned about her well-being.
16:02I was telling her, like, if it happens once, it's going to happen again.
16:05You've got to get out of this situation.
16:06You've got to get out of here.
16:08I started implementing a plan to come pick her up,
16:12to get Claire home and get her out of this relationship safely.
16:17But the next day, she said that everything was fine,
16:20that everything was okay, and that everything was worked out.
16:24But in my gut, though, I just knew something wasn't right.
16:30I was going to come pick her up.
16:34If I would have just came a little bit sooner,
16:39I'd miss her a lot.
16:51You told your mum on the 11th of February of 2024
16:55that you had hurt Claire, didn't you?
16:59According to my mum, yes.
17:02And that was after you had returned to the house,
17:05after driving your car into the sea, wasn't it?
17:09According to my mum, yes.
17:14The Crown case is that after Erin Pearson
17:18had either killed Claire Levesque
17:20or injured her so badly that he thought that he had killed her,
17:23he drove his car into the sea
17:26at a point very close by to the house in Sanis.
17:36Aaron had already got quite a reputation
17:38for his fast driving across the island.
17:49He had a very fancy silver Porsche.
17:52He drove it everywhere.
17:54He set up a YouTube channel.
18:01And Claire,
18:03you would buy into that, wouldn't you?
18:06This is a wealthy man.
18:07This is a wealthy man.
18:07He's got a Porsche.
18:10And I also heard that the reason he had the Porsche
18:14was that he was buying and selling drugs on that island.
18:19But nothing was ever proven.
18:26How long would it take you to drive from the house
18:29to the point where we saw the tyre tracks
18:32going off onto the grass and then into the sea?
18:36In a hypothetical scenario,
18:38because once again I can't remember doing it,
18:40but in a hypothetical scenario,
18:41it could be seconds to a minute, maybe.
18:57Now I don't know why Aaron Pearson
19:00drove his car into the sea.
19:02That's for him to explain.
19:03But it adds to our timeline.
19:06Because having visited the island,
19:08I know that that beach
19:09is only a very short drive from the house.
19:15So if you drove into the sea,
19:18swam to the shore,
19:20and then walked back,
19:21you could probably do all of that
19:22in about 15 minutes, maybe 10 minutes.
19:24Would that be fair to say?
19:26It would be fair to say that.
19:32He is seen walking back from the beach area
19:35at about quarter to five in the evening.
19:39I just thought that it was weird
19:42that he was just walking back to the house.
19:46That, to me, was extremely weird.
19:52Again, that's a key marker in the timeline.
19:55Because it's shortly after that
19:57that we have the 999 call
19:59made by Janet Pearson.
20:02She's bleeding and dying in a hot tub.
20:08Why did you drive your car into the sea?
20:12Again, I can't remember doing that.
20:14So did you do that
20:16after you had stabbed Claire Levesque
20:17multiple times, Mr Pearson?
20:19I did not stab Claire multiple times,
20:21to my knowledge.
20:23And you inflicted superficial wounds
20:25to your neck.
20:28According to the photograph and my mum.
20:31You told the 999 operator
20:33that you killed her
20:35because she drank too much
20:37and acted like an idiot
20:39and she had pissed you off.
20:42Yeah, that was me.
20:44But once again,
20:45I can't remember saying it.
20:46Well, the question isn't about
20:48what you remember, Mr Pearson.
20:49I'm just making myself clear.
20:50I didn't want you to twist my words.
20:53You assaulted her
20:54by stabbing her 26 times, Mr Pearson.
21:00How many times do I need
21:01to repeat myself, ma'am?
21:05It was such a violent assault
21:06that it left a piece of the knife
21:08embedded in her skull.
21:09And you did that, didn't you?
21:12That's what the evidence is saying,
21:14I suppose.
21:16It was just the constant,
21:18I don't know, I don't know, ma'am.
21:20Like, I don't know.
21:21It was like, why did you even take the stand?
21:35So Crown Production 87
21:37is the transcript of the interview
21:39that was conducted
21:40on the 13th of February of 2024
21:43at Lowell Police Office.
21:45And at the top of page three,
21:47the police officer says,
21:48OK, you know,
21:49she's obviously passed away.
21:51And you say,
21:52yeah, I've been hearing it in here.
21:54Yeah, one of the officers
21:56told me in there, yeah.
21:58So are you saying
21:59that it wasn't until
22:00you were interviewed
22:01by police on the 13th of February
22:03that you knew
22:03that Claire had died?
22:05That's correct.
22:07You took a video of yourself
22:09sitting in the hot tub
22:10with Claire in 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 recorded himself
22:44and I want to use that
22:46to again point out
22:47an inconsistency
22:49in his account.
22:51He was in the hot tub
22:55with Claire still
22:57when the police showed up.
23:00My Lord, I wish to play
23:01that particular piece of video
23:02just 15 seconds.
23:04And if you can listen carefully
23:05to it as well, Mr. Pearson.
23:07Sure, OK.
23:14Come on in.
23:16Fucking do.
23:20Fuck you, you fucking pig.
23:26Now that's your voice,
23:27isn't it, Mr. Pearson?
23:28It is, ma'am.
23:28Yeah.
23:29We see a hand there,
23:31Mr. Pearson.
23:32And that's Claire Levesque
23:34in the hot tub with 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, like I said,
23:43I don't...
23:45I don't know.
23:45Mr. Pearson,
23:46I can show the footage
23:47that shows her face.
23:48I'm loathe to do that, my Lord.
23:49No, please don't.
23:50Please don't.
23:50I can't.
23:53If you're required
23:54to do it, advocate-depute,
23:55then you proceed
23:56as you see fit.
23:57Thank you, Lord.
23:57If we can...
23:58Again, I warn those
23:59who are in the court...
24:00Oh, God.
24:00No, please don't show that.
24:01...that this will show
24:01the face of the deceased
24:03very briefly.
24:05I'm conscious
24:06that these kinds of 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,
24:16I will have to show
24:17that piece of evidence.
24:20I'm not looking at it.
24:25I didn't even recognize her.
24:27She was so pale.
24:30And you...
24:31I didn't recognize her face.
24:33It was just...
24:35It was awful.
24:37I wasn't expecting that at all.
24:41There is an audible intake
24:44of breath
24:45when we're showing Claire
24:47in the hotel.
24:48The jury
24:49have their heads
24:50in their hands.
24:52Some of them are crying.
24:55Can we just stop that 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 confessed
25:10to actually killing 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 think
25:25about it at the time.
25:27The only time
25:28I really thought about
25:29things was when
25:30I saw a picture
25:31of Claire
25:31in the local press
25:34and 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.
25:53OK.
25:54You took that video,
25:55didn't you?
25:57I'm assuming so.
25:59And yet you wish
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.
26:10You 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?
26:23As far as I remember,
26:24no, ma'am.
26:25No further questions.
26:26Thank you, ma'am.
26:31He couldn't explain
26:32what he had done that 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
26:57to the next phase
26:57of the trial
26:58in which counsel
26:58will be addressing you
26:59directly from the lectern.
27:01Please 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 beyond
27:14a 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 Deputy
27:26to address you
27:27for the Crown.
27:27Advocate Deputy.
27:29Thank 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 Claire Levesque
27:41said to the accused,
27:43Aaron Pearson,
27:44on the 12th of December
27:45of 2023.
27:48Just two short months later,
27:51Aaron Pearson said
27:53to a 999 call operator,
27:56my name is Aaron Pearson.
27:58I've just killed
28:00my girlfriend
28:00in the hot tub
28:02in 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 from that.
28:34Now, of course,
28:35Mr Pearson explained
28:37that he couldn't
28:38recollect
28:38that 999 call.
28:40That was his position
28:41he adopted.
28:43This is a
28:44very tragic
28:45set of events.
28:48But what you can't do,
28:50members of the jury,
28:51is to bring
28:52emotions
28:53into your decision-making.
28:55In Scotland,
28:57the level
28:58or standard
28:59of proof
28:59is proof
29:01beyond
29:02a reasonable doubt.
29:03And what I say
29:05to almost
29:06every jury
29:06that I speak
29:07to
29:07is this.
29:09If
29:09you were to
29:11pause
29:11or hesitate
29:12in relation
29:14to
29:15an allegation,
29:17that pause,
29:18that hesitation,
29:20our law says
29:21is a reasonable doubt.
29:23Your duty
29:24is then
29:25to acquit.
29:29when Claire says
29:30to Aaron Pearson,
29:32you beat the shit
29:32out of me
29:33on my 24th birthday,
29:35his response was
29:35not a denial.
29:37No,
29:37what he said was
29:38that was the second time.
29:41He also appears
29:42to blame Claire
29:43for him hitting her.
29:46Does that sound familiar?
29:48Because on the evidence
29:49we heard yesterday
29:50and today,
29:51Aaron Pearson
29:52appears to blame
29:53Claire Levesque
29:54for inflicting
29:55the stab wounds
29:56on herself.
29:58The suggestion
29:59made by the Crown
30:00to Mr Pearson
30:01was that his testimony
30:02was fabricated
30:02and not true.
30:06But I suppose
30:07my function
30:07is to look at the evidence
30:08and try and say,
30:09well,
30:10these are the aspects
30:12which support him.
30:15I'm asking you
30:16to bring your
30:16common sense to this.
30:17If he's just
30:18going to come up
30:19with a fabricated
30:20total nonsense
30:21of a story,
30:24why not just say
30:25she did everything
30:26to herself?
30:27Because he's not
30:27said that.
30:29He said he's got
30:30no memory.
30:31He said he saw
30:32inflicting wounds
30:33to herself,
30:35there being blood
30:35and then no memory.
30:38It may be members
30:39of the jury
30:39come to the view
30:40that perhaps
30:42she had had
30:43too much to drink.
30:45Perhaps
30:45she was
30:47drunk.
30:51The pathologist
30:52told you
30:53it's entirely
30:54unrealistic
30:55to suggest
30:56Claire Levesque
30:57inflicted
30:58those stab wounds
30:59on herself.
31:00It didn't seem
31:01to suggest
31:02that they couldn't
31:02have happened.
31:04There may be
31:05members of the jury
31:06that you're left
31:06thinking,
31:06well,
31:07really,
31:08where are we
31:08with that evidence?
31:12This is what
31:13his whole life
31:14is riding on.
31:15Suicide.
31:16Claire killing
31:17herself and doing
31:17this to herself.
31:19I thought it was
31:20a joke.
31:22The evidence
31:22tells you,
31:23members of the jury,
31:24Aaron Pearson
31:25murdered Claire Levesque.
31:28If he's going to lie,
31:31you know,
31:31you might think
31:32it'd be a big lie.
31:34But if he's telling
31:35the truth,
31:36members of the jury,
31:38you ought to
31:39acquit him.
31:47So, members of the jury,
31:49you've now heard
31:49all the evidence
31:50in this case.
31:52For the Crown
31:52to prove the crime
31:53of murder,
31:54you would have to be
31:54satisfied beyond
31:55reasonable doubt
31:56that the accused,
31:57Aaron Pearson,
31:59killed Claire Levesque
32:00on 11th of February,
32:012024.
32:03The starting point
32:04of the Crown case
32:05is what the advocate
32:06deputy characterised
32:07as the admission evidence
32:08featuring in the 999 call,
32:10which the advocate
32:11deputy described
32:12as a remarkably
32:13accurate account
32:14of events.
32:15The advocate deputy
32:16also referred you
32:17to the hot tub video
32:18and to further comments
32:19made by the accused
32:20to police witnesses.
32:22The advocate deputy
32:23submitted that
32:24corroboration
32:25for this evidence
32:25could be and was
32:27located in the evidence
32:28of Dr Ainsworth
32:29on the sites
32:30and number of injuries
32:31the force required
32:32to inflict them
32:33and the issue
32:34of self-infliction.
32:36Mr Patterson
32:37advanced the following
32:38submissions.
32:39Dr Ainsworth's testimony
32:41did not go to that point
32:43of suggesting
32:44that self-infliction
32:45was utterly impossible
32:47or could not have happened
32:48and you may be left wondering,
32:50Mr Patterson observed,
32:52where Dr Ainsworth's opinion
32:53takes you as a jury.
32:55When you look at
32:56the whole evidence
32:57and the support
32:58for Mr Pearson's account,
33:00in particular
33:00in the messages,
33:02you may come to the view
33:03that the Crown
33:04has failed to prove
33:05that Mr Pearson
33:06is guilty on murder.
33:10you are the judges
33:11of the facts
33:12and you decide
33:13what's been proved
33:14and what hasn't.
33:16It's all a matter
33:17for you.
33:25Whenever a jury goes out
33:26to consider their verdict,
33:28I can't second guess
33:28what that verdict will be.
33:29and it is very nerve-wracking.
33:36I'm wondering,
33:37have the Crown
33:38done enough here?
33:41Some juries
33:42can be quick,
33:43some can be slow.
33:45Some can take five minutes,
33:46some can take five hours
33:47or five days.
33:49You don't know
33:50what's going on
33:50in the jury deliberation room.
33:52What are the arguments
33:53other people are making?
33:54Did something stick out to them
33:56and that didn't stick out to me.
34:01Mr Pearson
34:02has explained his position
34:05so it's over to the jury
34:06to decide whether or not
34:07the Crown have proved
34:08the case beyond a reasonable doubt
34:09which is a very high standard.
34:11A very high standard.
34:13In the High Court of Justiciary,
34:15in court number one,
34:16this is a verdict.
34:23Of the seven original charges,
34:26only two remain.
34:28Charge two,
34:29the charge of domestic abuse
34:31over a prolonged period of time.
34:34And charge number four,
34:35of course,
34:36murder.
34:47I hope that having done
34:49my job properly,
34:50I've given them sufficient evidence
34:51that they can rely on.
34:53But the jury verdict
34:54is a jury verdict.
35:05Court!
35:09Good afternoon.
35:18Members of the jury,
35:20will your spokesperson
35:21please stand up?
35:26Have you reached your verdict?
35:28Yes.
35:29What is your verdict
35:30in respect of Aaron Bylock Pearson
35:32on charge two
35:33on the indictment?
35:35Guilty.
35:36Is that a unanimous
35:37or a majority decision?
35:39Unanimous.
35:40What is your verdict
35:41in respect of Aaron Bylock Pearson
35:43on charge four
35:44on the indictment?
35:45Guilty.
35:46Is that a unanimous
35:47or a majority decision?
35:49Unanimous.
35:54Members of the jury,
35:56thank you for 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 defense.
36:12Aaron Bylock Pearson,
36:14that you have today
36:14on the unanimous verdict
36:16of the jury
36:16been convicted
36:17of a crime
36:18of exceptional depravity,
36:20namely the murder
36:21of Miss Claire Levesque.
36:22Your own evidence
36:23was in my view
36:24an exercise
36:25from start to finish
36:26in victim blaming.
36:27This malicious,
36:28vindictive
36:29and wholly fabricated
36:30account suggests
36:31certainly to me
36:32that you have sought
36:33to continue to humiliate
36:34your victim
36:35after her death,
36:36even in this courtroom
36:37in the presence
36:38of her grieving family.
36:51You stole my little girl,
36:53my best friend,
36:54my life.
36:56Hey, there's Claire
36:57going home.
36:58I will not get
36:59to hug my daughter again
37:00to see her smile
37:01or hear her laugh.
37:02There's Claire
37:03and her daddy.
37:05You stole the children
37:06she would have had.
37:07I will never get
37:08to be a grandpa
37:09to her babies.
37:11You stole my life.
37:13I am not happy
37:15like I once was.
37:16In fact,
37:17I feel guilty
37:18when I feel
37:18any happiness.
37:20Her light is gone.
37:22You stole Claire's light.
37:25I am not a hateful man.
37:28However,
37:29I hate you.
37:30Absolutely.
37:31I hate that you get
37:33to wake up each day
37:34and she will not.
37:36I hate that you live
37:38and she does not.
37:41You stole my little girl
37:44and yet you get to live.
37:47How is that fair?
37:49It's great.
37:52Miss Levesque died
37:53a squalid death
37:55of quite unimaginable
37:57multifaceted violence.
37:58This was a sustained episode
38:00of feral butchery.
38:02Aaron Pearson's stand-up.
38:05On charge two,
38:06you will serve a sentence
38:07of imprisonment
38:07of two years.
38:09On charge four,
38:10I now pass upon you
38:11on a concurrent basis
38:12a sentence of imprisonment
38:14for life.
38:14I fix the punishment
38:15part of this disposal
38:16at a period of 25 years.
38:19That is all.
38:27As he said,
38:2925 years,
38:29I watched him tense
38:30like a ball
38:31and I just thought,
38:33good.
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
38:55to councillor.
38:56Thank you, Marlowe.
38:57Thank you, Lord.
38:57Thank you, Lord.
38:59Thank you, Lord.
39:01I've known a few people
39:02who are murderers.
39:04Aaron Pearson
39:06is the most cold-blooded
39:09murderer
39:10I have ever come across.
39:20There is no chance
39:22of forgiveness.
39:23These people
39:25don't belong in society.
39:29There is no fixing
39:30this tape.
39:34It was important
39:35for me
39:35to find Clint
39:37and Jenny
39:37to see how they were.
39:40It was clearly
39:41an emotional time
39:42for them.
39:43And it was also
39:44a very emotional meeting.
39:47I gave her a hug
39:48because 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
39:59what it was like
40:00for Clint and Jenny
40:01and Claire's family
40:03to sit through
40:04the evidence.
40:05It was harrowing
40:07at times.
40:07It was graphic
40:08at times.
40:09But they showed
40:10remarkable strength
40:11and dignity
40:12in sitting through
40:13that evidence.
40:28today we were able
40:29to get justice
40:30for Claire
40:31and hopefully
40:33start a new path
40:34and helping
40:35other victims
40:36suffering from
40:36domestic violence
40:37and being able
40:38to move forward
40:39and come forward.
40:41Claire was so
40:42isolated in Shetland
40:44but she was
40:45such a phenomenal
40:47person
40:48and I miss her
40:51terribly.
41:03Oh there's
41:04there's
41:05I don't know
41:05a woodpecker
41:06but
41:07Claire and I
41:08like
41:08we'd meet up
41:09after work
41:11she was always
41:12up for a good walk
41:13all these trails
41:14have memories
41:15of our conversations.
41:20Claire was out
41:21in Shetland
41:22all alone
41:24and so far
41:26away from
41:27everybody
41:27who loved
41:28and cared
41:28about her.
41:31But I didn't think
41:32I was going to
41:33get a call
41:33saying she was killed.
41:40Although I don't
41:41see her
41:41on those trails
41:42anymore
41:42I feel her
41:43presence
41:44it was a tough
41:45couple weeks
41:49I miss her so much
41:51I miss her so much
41:52I miss her so much
42:15we were able to go
42:17and spend some time
42:19on the beach
42:19that she loved
42:24where she was
42:25walking the dog
42:35it's nice to see it
42:37it's nice to see it
42:37like be here
42:37I feel
42:39closer
42:39it's nice to see it
42:43and we were lucky enough
42:44and we were lucky enough
42:45to be able to bring
42:45back some stones
42:48it's not much
42:49but just to have
42:50something
42:50from a place
42:51that she loved
42:57I remember
42:58I remember my sister
42:58I remember my sister Claire
42:59as a bright
43:00and bold
43:02really a one-of-a-kind
43:03soul
43:06I want her to be
43:08remembered for
43:09the beautiful girl
43:10that she was
43:14she'll forever be
43:16in my heart
43:24me, Hope, William
43:33my daughter was
43:36being abused
43:38and now I see it
43:42every day, Mr
43:45every day
44:21and now I see it
44:38everyone
44:38I see it
44:41and now I see it
44:41and in time
44:42I see it
44:43and now
44:43and then
44:44I see it
44:44and now
44:44and now
44:44it's
44:44alright
44:44I see this
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