Aren Pearson, 41, broke down in tears during his murder trial as the court viewed CCTV footage capturing the final moments of his girlfriend, Claire Leveque, 24, before he stabbed her 26 times. Pearson was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the killing, which occurred in a hot tub at a garage in Shetland on February 11, 2024.
The Attack and Aftermath
Canadian national Ms Leveque suffered 55 separate injuries as Pearson repeatedly stabbed her in the head, neck, and body, and inflicted blunt force trauma. A new Channel 5 documentary, 'Murder In Shetland: Trial By Jury', airing at 9pm tonight, reveals rare in-court footage from the eight-day trial at Edinburgh's High Court last October.
An exclusive clip shared with the Daily Mail shows the court being shown CCTV of Pearson and Claire before the incident. They are seen driving to a service station shop, buying a white bottle of alcohol with a gold-coloured top. As the footage plays, Pearson cries, burying his face in his hands, while other members of the public also weep.
Among them is Ms Leveque's cousin Hope Ingram, who travelled from Edmonton to attend the trial. She later said: 'When I first saw the footage it was so hard to keep it together in the courtroom, but it was kind of nice because I got to see Claire again.'
Background of Abuse
Ms Leveque had met Pearson, who claimed to be a Bitcoin millionaire, in their native Canada and travelled to Shetland with him in October 2023 to spend time with his elderly mother Hazel, who died in May 2025. But Pearson subjected Ms Leveque to a prolonged period of domestic abuse and controlling behaviour, physically assaulting her on several occasions.
Following the final assault, Hazel entered the garage to find Ms Leveque dying in the hot tub. She dialled 999, and Pearson joined the call, telling the operator: 'Hello, hi, my name is Aren Pearson. I've just killed my girlfriend in the hot tub in the garage. I stabbed her about 40 times in the heart, stomach, face, neck and back.' He also described her as a 'stupid c*** of a girlfriend' and said he 'beat her the f*** up'.
Before officers arrived, Pearson drove his car off the road and into the sea at Melby Pier, then returned to the house, where he was arrested. Police found him in the bloody water of the tub with Ms Leveque, who was pronounced dead at 6.17pm.
Documentary Details
The documentary follows the prosecution case in episode one and the defence case in episode two, when Pearson himself takes the stand. While the initial evidence from 999 calls appears damning, Pearson claims to have no memory of his admission of guilt, saying he was heavily intoxicated, and maintains his innocence.
Pearson was sentenced to 25 years for murder and two years for assault on previous occasions, to be served concurrently. Judge Lord Arthurson described the attack as 'a sustained episode of feral butchery' and part of a 'sinister pattern of domestic abuse'.
Guy Davies, consultant editor for commissioning at Channel 5, said: 'This thoughtful series gives a deeply human account of an unimaginable tragedy. It shines a light on the justice process and honours the courage of Claire's family as they seek truth and remembrance.'
'Murder In Shetland: Trial By Jury' begins on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight.
