The High Court in Edinburgh is currently the stage for a harrowing and complex murder trial that has gripped both the Shetland community and observers far beyond. On February 11, 2024, the quiet village of Sandness was rocked by the violent death of Claire Leveque, a 24-year-old Canadian woman, allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend, Aren Pearson. The trial, presided over by Judge Lord Arthurson, began on October 7, 2025, and has unfolded with disturbing details, emotional testimonies, and a series of chilling confessions.
According to multiple reports from BBC News, STV News, and Shetland News, the prosecution alleges that Pearson, 41, stabbed Leveque approximately 40 times while she was in a hot tub located in the garage of a property known as Ringville. The attack is said to have targeted her heart, stomach, face, neck, and back. The court heard that after the alleged murder, Pearson stabbed himself four times in the neck and drove his Porsche into the ocean—a sequence of events that has left many searching for answers.
The trial's opening day was marked by the playing of a harrowing 48-minute emergency call made by Pearson’s mother, Hazel Pearson, from her home in Sandness. During the call, Hazel, clearly distraught, told the operator that her son had killed Claire and described the hot tub as "full of blood." She added that Claire’s injuries were so severe she did not recognize her, stating, "She was bleeding and dying in a hot tub in the shed." At one point, Aren took the phone from his mother and confessed, "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. I stabbed myself in the neck four times." The court confirmed that the male voice on the emergency call was indeed that of Aren Pearson.
Hazel Pearson’s account of the events has been central to the prosecution’s case. In statements read to the court, she described her son as acting like a "zombie" after the incident. "Aren did not look like my son. He was just like the way a zombie looks," she told detectives. She recounted that Aren walked into the kitchen, retrieved a small black-handled kitchen knife, and began stabbing himself in the neck before stating, "I have hurt Claire." When Hazel discovered Claire in the hot tub, she said the water was red with blood and her injuries were severe, particularly to the face.
Hazel Pearson, who passed away in May 2025 at the age of 72, also revealed that Aren had told her he had driven his car into the sea and had been acting aggressively and "extremely violent" in the weeks leading up to the incident. She described Aren as having "lots of issues" and suffering from mental health problems. In her statements to police, Hazel also said that, on the day of the alleged murder, there were "no issues" between the couple earlier in the day—they had even been seen together on CCTV shopping for groceries. However, by late afternoon, the situation changed dramatically, with Aren appearing topless and soon after, the violence erupted.
The prosecution has outlined a total of seven charges against Pearson. Beyond the murder charge, he is accused of acting in a threatening and abusive manner toward Claire between October 2023 and February 2024, assaulting her on various occasions, and inflicting blunt force trauma by "means to the prosecutor unknown." He is also alleged to have threatened her by saying he possessed "grenades" during an incident on January 2, 2024. After the alleged murder, prosecutors claim Pearson attempted to cover up his involvement by sending text messages to two men, including Claire’s father, stating that Claire was in "good health" and that he had booked flights for her to return to Canada. Further charges include driving into the sea, possessing a knife, self-inflicted neck wounds, and making offensive remarks to police officers during transit to the hospital.
Throughout the trial, Pearson has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defense, led by solicitor advocate Iain Paterson KC, has not disputed the factual details of the emergency call or the cause of death—established as "stab wounds of the neck and chest"—but maintains that Pearson is not guilty of murder or the other offenses. Pearson has also denied compressing Claire’s neck and holding her head under water, as alleged by the prosecution.
Police testimony has further painted a grim picture of the aftermath. Officers arriving at the scene described finding Claire lifeless, floating on her back in the hot tub with water described as "black"—a detail later clarified as "blood in the water." One officer recounted that after being detained, Pearson said, "Murderers are to be killed. Put me in the kill box. Take me out to the boonies and put a bullet in me." The phrase "the boonies," the officer explained, refers to a rural part of North America.
Background information presented in court has provided some context to the lives of those involved. Hazel Pearson, born in Shetland but having lived in Canada since the early 1970s, returned to Shetland in 2022, with Aren joining her soon after. Aren, also a Canadian citizen, had struggled to secure a UK passport and had returned to Edmonton, Alberta, for work, where he met Claire. Despite Hazel’s initial reluctance, the couple traveled to Shetland together. Hazel described Claire as "good natured" and helpful around the house, and said that, until the day of the incident, the couple "seemed very happy together." However, Hazel also recalled an incident on January 2, 2024, when Aren appeared upset and "not in his right mind," describing the behavior as "scary." In her final statements, she noted her son was "really depressed" and "wished he wasn’t here."
The trial has also acknowledged the emotional toll on all involved. Pearson was seen weeping in the dock as he listened to the recording of his late mother’s emergency call. The court has heard that the trial is expected to last around eight days, with the outcome still uncertain as of October 9, 2025.
As the proceedings continue, the community in Shetland and beyond watches closely, seeking answers to the many questions surrounding this tragic case. The trial has laid bare a story of mental health struggles, family tragedy, and a shocking act of violence that has left a lasting mark on all those connected to it.
