My son 'like zombie' on night his dying lover found in tub

THE mother of a man accused of murdering his lover in a hot tub told police he looked like a zombie that night, a court was told.

- By James Mulholland

Aren Pearson, 41, a Canadian, is on trial accused of killing Claire Leveque, 15 years his junior, at his mother’s home in Shetland.

Claire was found with multiple injuries in the tub in February last year.

The mother, Hazel Pearson, 71, has since died, but yesterday the High Court in Edinburgh heard in a statement she gave to detectives that Aren did not look “like my son”.

She claimed he had first told of driving his car into the sea before adding that he had “hurt” Ms Leveque.

Mrs Pearson then found Ms Leveque in the tub at the house in Sandness.

Recalling the events of the evening of Sunday, February 11, 2024, she said: “Aren walked into the kitchen and came back with a small, black-handled kitchen knife.

“Aren then started stabbing himself to the front of his neck.