Trial of Trafford man accused of murdering his wife on holiday collapses.
Donald McPherson, 47, had taken out seven `"secret'' life insurance policies on his ``besotted'' wife Paula Leeson and stood to gain #3.5 million if she died, Manchester Crown Court heard.
The trial of Donald McPherson, who was accused of murdering his wealthy heiress wife in a holiday drowning accident'' in Denmark to get his hands on avast fortune'', has collapsed.
The court heard Paula Leeson, 47, drowned in a 4 feet deep swimming pool at a holiday cottage, while the couple from Sale were on a break in Denmark in June 2017.
The otherwise healthy mother-of-one had 13 separate injuries to her arms and head, a post-mortem showed.
Pathologists said these may have been sustained while being restrained or in a rescue and resuscitation attempt and could not rule out accidental death.
Stopping the trial in its third week, Mr Justice Goose said there are two available possibilities: firstly, the defendant restrained his wife under water or overcame her in a struggle or pushed her to cause her to drown.
Or secondly, Paula Leeson drowned by an accident, by a trip, fall or a faint, causing her to fall into the water.
He added: Whilst the first of those alternatives is clearly more likely, that does not mean that a jury, on the face of the pathological evidence alone, could be sure of it.''
He told the jury: I have come to the conclusion that as a matter of law that the evidence in relation to how Paula Leeson came to drown is not sufficiently strong to allow you to reach a proper verdict in relation to the defendant causing it by killing her.''
As the ruling to stop the trial was made, Ms Leeson's father, Irish businessman Willy Leeson, broke down in tears along with his wife Betty, as they sat in the public gallery yards from the defendant.
Mr Leeson shouted: Oh God, oh God, unbelievable.''
His son Neville Leeson shouted to the judge: God Almighty. You are making a big mistake.''
McPherson, who sat in the dock with his arms folded, wearing a black jogging suit and blue mask, made no reaction as he was discharged and told he was free to go.
The judge added: I understand how difficult it will be therefore for the family to accept from their point of view the loss of a daughter. This court has obvious sympathy for them but the law must be applied equally.''