Acquitted Kiwi conman 'did murder his wife', UK coroner finds

Author: Tom Rose,
Publish Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2026, 11:06am

A UK coroner has concluded that convicted Kiwi fraudster Donald McPherson did murder his wife despite previously being cleared of the charge in a 2021 criminal trial. Photo / Supplied

A convicted New Zealand fraudster previously cleared over the murder of his wealthy wife did in fact kill her, a UK coroner has concluded.

Donald McPherson, born Alexander James Lang in Auckland, was accused of murdering his 47-year-old wife, Paula Leeson, in June 2017 while holidaying in Denmark.

Leeson’s family, who own and operate a successful plant hire business, alleged he killed her as part of a life insurance plot in which McPherson stood to gain £3.5 million ($8m).

A criminal trial took place at the Manchester Crown Court in 2021, one year after he was charged, but McPherson was formally cleared of murdering Leeson after the judge ruled there was “insufficient” evidence for the jury to convict.

At a coronial inquest today (local time), delayed by the murder trial and civil proceedings, the coroner has agreed with a UK High Court’s 2024 unlawful killing ruling, telling those present that McPherson, now 53, was heavily indebted and had much to gain from Leeson’s death.

“I am therefore satisfied he did murder his wife,” Manchester South senior coroner Alison Mutch told the Stockport Coroner’s Court.

“Her death occurred because her husband compressed her neck to render her unconscious, causing her body to enter the pool, causing her to drown, to financially benefit from her death.

“Her death was as a result of an unlawful killing.”

At the same time, the inquest heard a murder retrial couldn’t take place unless new convincing evidence emerged, although the Leeson family’s lawyer expressed belief that more would be uncovered soon.

The case dates back nearly a decade, when Leeson drowned in a shallow swimming pool in Denmark during a summer holiday with McPherson in 2017.

Danish authorities initially ruled the death as an accident, although the court heard Leeson had received 13 separate injuries to her body that later created uncertainty.

Leeson’s family became suspicious of McPherson after discovering he had taken out more than a dozen life insurance policies on his wife – some with forged signatures – that would have paid out roughly £3.5m ($8m).

Donald McPherson stood trial for the 2017 murder of his wife Paula Leeson. The case was aborted and McPherson is now said to be in New Zealand. Photo / Frances Hardy

After the criminal trial was thrown out, Leeson’s family launched a civil case against McPherson at the High Court in Manchester in 2022.

That ruling, issued by Justice Richard Smith in September 2024, found Leeson had been unlawfully killed by McPherson by rendering her unconscious then drowning her in the swimming pool.

McPherson - a convicted fraudster in several countries - was subsequently blocked from inheriting his late wife’s £4.4m ($10.1m) estate.

He left the UK in 2022 ahead of the civil case and coronial inquiry, and is believed to be currently living in New Zealand.

Nevertheless, in May last year, McPherson was convicted in absentia for contempt of court after failing to disclose his assets during civil proceedings and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

Judge Mark Cawson, KC, noted McPherson would only need to serve half of that if he complied with the asset disclosure order, but added the seriousness of the offence meant “only a custodial sentence will suffice”.

“McPherson has committed some 32 criminal offences of dishonesty and fraud in various jurisdictions throughout the world,” the judgment read.

“In these circumstances, there is simply no basis for any discount being given on the basis of the defendant being of good character. He is plainly a man of bad character.”