- New Zealand fraudster Donald McPherson may face retrial for murder after “compelling” new evidence was submitted.
- Last month a High Court judge in the UK ruled Paula Leeson was unlawfully killed by McPherson.
- Leeson’s family believe their sister’s killer is hiding in Australia or New Zealand.
The New Zealand man who lost a civil trial where he was accused of murdering his wife so he could cash in on multiple insurance policies could face a retrial for murder.
Last month a High Court judge in the UK ruled Paula Leeson, found dead in a swimming pool in 2017, was unlawfully killed by her husband Donald McPherson so he could gain access to her $9.4 million estate. The civil action has blocked him from inheriting any money.
Now McPherson could face a retrial for murder after Leeson’s family submitted new evidence to police.
A coroner was told that evidence submitted by her family’s lawyers had now been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for them to consider whether to seek a retrial of McPherson, 50.
According to the Daily Mail, the Leeson family barrister, Sophie Cartwright KC, said the evidence was “new and compelling”.
However, details have not been outlined at a review ahead of a scheduled inquest into Paula’s death.
Last month, the Leeson family said it was a “huge relief” a judge confirmed what they always suspected.
They believed McPherson was hiding out in New Zealand or Australia.
Paula’s brother, Neville Leeson, told the Herald the journey to justice was not over yet as they focused on a fresh criminal trial.
New Zealand-born Donald McPherson was formally cleared of the murder in 2021 of his 47-year-old wife.
Neville said his sister’s killer had fled the country and believed he could be close to his birthplace, avoiding paying costs related to the civil trial, which ended last week.
“He could be anywhere, but there is a big possibility he might be in Australia or New Zealand we think.”
A High Court judge in the UK has ruled Paula Leeson, found dead in a swimming pool, was killed by her husband so he could gain access to her $9.4 million estate. Photo / Supplied
Paula Leeson, 47, of Sale near Manchester, died in a swimming pool while on holiday with Takapuna-born Donald McPherson, born Alexander James Lang, in Denmark seven years ago.
Leeson’s family alleged he killed her as part of a life insurance plot in which McPherson stood to gain £3.5 million ($7 million).
By Neville’s count, and evidence before the court, there were 14 insurance policies lined up to pay out on Paula’s death, with McPherson the beneficiary of every single one.
He said it was a “huge relief” to know her sister’s suspected killer would not benefit from any of it.
Neville said their family had always thought McPherson was “very strange”.
“It was like he had dropped from space when he met Paula … he had no friends … he said he was from a foster home and he never had any parents and all this.”
Neville said after his sister’s death, they found he wasn’t the orphaned foster child from New Zealand he had claimed to be.
Instead, he was Alex Lang, born in Takapuna in 1973, then growing up in Auckland’s North Shore with his parents and two sisters.
Since then, he has adopted at least five other identities, had 27 convictions for dishonesty in New Zealand and a jail term in Germany for embezzlement of about $35m.
They also discovered that before the trip to Denmark with Paula Leeson, his wife of three years, he took out more than a dozen insurance policies — some with forged signatures — putting him in line for a $7m payout from the death of his wife.
Neville said when he got a phone call from his dad in 2017 to say Paula had died, there was “no doubt” what had happened.
“My father said straight away that ‘he’s killed her’.
“You can tell from that what kind of our feelings were towards him.”
Donald McPherson aka Donald Somers aka Alan Atkins, born Alexander Lang in New Zealand.
McPherson was charged with murder in April 2020 and went on trial a year later in the Crown Court at Manchester. When the prosecution case closed, the judge hearing the case aborted it.
He did so saying McPherson had probably murdered Paula, but the evidence wouldn’t allow a jury to find beyond reasonable doubt that he was the killer.
Neville said with the new evidence that had come to light during the civil trial, including from a previously locked laptop, they believed they had a “good case” for a new criminal trial.
He said he was sending pleas around the world, but specifically to those in the Southern Hemisphere, to let their family know if they see McPherson.
However, he warned about getting too close.
“The most important thing is that we want people to stay away from him because he’s a very, very dangerous individual.
“So if anyone sees him, you need to be very, extremely careful but if you do, then please let us know.”
Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.
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