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Murder of Paige Doherty

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Murder of Paige Doherty
LocationClydebank, Scotland
Date19 March 2016
Attack type
Murder
WeaponKnife
VictimPaige Doherty
AssailantJohn Leathem
VerdictGuilty
ConvictionsMurder
ChargesLife imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years at HMP Dumfries
Paige Doherty
Born(2000-04-17)17 April 2000
Scotland
Died19 March 2016(2016-03-19) (aged 15)
Clydebank, West Dumbartonshire, Scotland
Cause of deathStabbing
Parent(s)Pamela Doherty, Jon Bothwell

Paige Doherty was a 15-year-old student from Clydebank, Scotland who was murdered on 19 March 2016 by 32 year-old John Leathem in his deli.

Background

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Paige had stayed at her friend's house on the night of 18 March. On the 19th, at around 8:21am, she went to John Leathem's delicatessen. Normally she would have gone to her hairdressing job in Kirkintilloch, 12 mi (19 km) away, however after she failed to arrive the search for her began.[1][2]

John Leathem
Born
John Leathem

1983 or 1984
Scotland
StatusIncarcerated
Criminal chargeMurder
PenaltyLife imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years
Date apprehended
26 March 2016
Imprisoned atHMP Dumfries

Murder investigation

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Her body was found on the roadside near Glasgow's Great Western Road two days after she disappeared. Doherty had been stabbed in the head and neck and suffered more than 250 wounds, though her mother, Pamela Doherty, claimed that there were more than 500 wounds.[3] The last sighting of her was on CCTV at a deli shop in Clydebank, owned by John Leathem, who later admitted to murdering Paige Doherty.[4] Pamela set up the charity, Paige's Promise, in her daughter's name to teach children self defence, as well as support families whose children have been victims of murder.[5]

Trial

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John Leathem claimed that Paige threatened to tell people that he had "touched her" inappropriately, if he refused to give her a job, because she was underage.[3] The main evidence used in the trial was CCTV footage of Leathem closing the Deli, running to the shop next door, and then returning with the deli remaining closed for about an hour. The footage then shows him putting a full bin bag in his trunk. The bag was confirmed to contain the body of Paige and when the owner of the shop he visited was questioned, it was confirmed that Leathem had purchased gloves, bleach, and the bin bag.[1][2]

Sentencing

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On 12 October 2016, seven months after Doherty's murder, Leathem was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow, where judge Lady Rae set a minimum time of 27 years in jail before becoming eligible to apply for parole.[6] However, in February 2017, following an appeal by Leathem, the minimum term was reduced to 23 years.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Deli owner John Leathem admits frenzied murder of Paige Doherty". BBC News. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Leathem v. HM Advocate, Scottish Courts and Tribunals (High Court of Justiciary 17 September 2017).
  3. ^ a b Wheastone, Richard; Jones, Stephen (5 September 2016). "Paige Doherty murder: Deli owner says why he stabbed 15-year-old 146 times claiming 'she threatened to say he touched her'". Mirror. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Man who killed Paige Doherty in 'frenzied' brutal knife attack jailed for life". BBC News. 12 October 2016.
  5. ^ "What We Do: Paige's Promise". Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  6. ^ Eleftheriou-Smith, Loulla-Mae (17 January 2017). "Paige Doherty's mother posts graphic reminder of murdered teenager's injuries as killer appeals sentence". Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
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