Man 'stabbed girlfriend about 40 times', murder trial told

Claire Leveque died in Shetland last year

A man accused of murder told an emergency call handler he had killed his girlfriend in a hot tub by stabbing her "about 40 times", a trial has heard.

Aren Pearson, 41, denies murdering Claire Leveque - who was 24 and originally from Canada - in Shetland on 11 February last year.

On the first day of evidence, the High Court in Edinburgh heard a recording of a 999 call made from a house in Sandness.

During the call, Mr Pearson was heard to say he had stabbed Ms Leveque in the heart, stomach, face and neck, and that she was "definitely dead".

Ms Leveque had travelled from her home in Canada to Shetland with Mr Pearson, who is also a Canadian citizen.

He was living in Shetland with his mother at the time of the alleged murder.

Emergency services were called to Sandness in Shetland

The jury was told that Hazel Pearson, the late mother of the accused, phoned the emergency services after her son allegedly told her he had killed Ms Leveque.

Ms Pearson could be heard telling the operator that the hot tub was "full of blood" and that she did not recognise Ms Leveque because her injuries were so bad.

The main voice jurors heard on the 48-minute 999 call belonged to Ms Pearson.

She told the operator her son had "desperately hurt his girlfriend" and that he had driven his car into the ocean, having had some kind of psychotic episode.

In the dock, Mr Pearson wept as he listened to the recording of his mother, who died earlier this year.

The jury heard Ms Pearson tell the operator that she had tried to lift Ms Leveque out the hot tub but could not manage.

During the call recording, the court heard Mr Pearson take the phone from his mother and tell 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."

One of the police officers who arrived at the scene said Ms Leveque's body looked "lifeless" in the water before a colleague began CPR.

In an agreed statement of evidence at the start of proceedings, jurors heard that the male voice on the emergency services call was Mr Pearson.

It was also agreed that the cause of Ms Leveque's death was established as "stab wounds of the neck and chest."

Mr Pearson denies murder by stabbing Ms Leveque, compressing her neck, and holding her head under water.

He denies six other charges, including an allegation he tried to cover up his involvement by sending text messages claiming she was in good health.

The trial continues.