Paige Doherty's mother wants to ask Leathem '˜why he killed her daughter'

The mother of murdered teenager Paige Doherty said she wants to face her killer in prison and ask him why he committed the horrific crime
Paige Doherty's mother  Pamela Munro and family.
Photo: submittedPaige Doherty's mother  Pamela Munro and family.
Photo: submitted
Paige Doherty's mother Pamela Munro and family. Photo: submitted

John Leathem, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years after pleading guilty to the “savage and frenzied” murder of the 15-year-old at his sandwich shop in Clydebank.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he stabbed the teenager 61 times and inflicted a total of more than 140 injuries when she stopped at his Delicious Deli in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, on March 19, then stored her body in a shed at his nearby home before dumping her remains in bushes two days later.

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Paige’s mother, Pamela Munro, was at the court on Wednesday to see Leathem sentenced.

John Leathem, 32, who has pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Clydebank schoolgirl Paige Doherty
Photo: Police Scotland/PAJohn Leathem, 32, who has pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Clydebank schoolgirl Paige Doherty
Photo: Police Scotland/PA
John Leathem, 32, who has pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Clydebank schoolgirl Paige Doherty Photo: Police Scotland/PA

Now she has spoken out about her wish to confront him and find out the true motive that drove him to murder her daughter in such a brutal fashion that “half her neck was missing”.

She told STV: “I think he owes that to us at least; to say to us this is the reason. He’s got nothing else to lose.

“Hopefully one day I can face him. I want him to accept a visit from me, for me to face him and say to him - ask him face to face.

“Paige is my daughter. I will ask the question but I’ll do it appropriately and I’ll do it to his face when he accepts a visit. I think he will accept a visit eventually but we’ll see.”

John Leathem, 32, who has pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Clydebank schoolgirl Paige Doherty
Photo: Police Scotland/PAJohn Leathem, 32, who has pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Clydebank schoolgirl Paige Doherty
Photo: Police Scotland/PA
John Leathem, 32, who has pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Clydebank schoolgirl Paige Doherty Photo: Police Scotland/PA

The only suggestion of motive in court was Leathem’s claim he was “frightened” at a perceived threat from Paige that she would say he “touched her inappropriately” if he did not give her a job - which Judge Lady Rae highlighted was not backed up by any evidence.

Ms Munro rubbished his claims, saying “it never happened”.

She told STV: “I’m disgusted that he could do something so horrific to a wee girl who was honestly the most respectful wee girl you would ever meet. She would never do anything to provoke anyone.

“It’s not 146 injuries that Paige suffered. She suffered a lot more. I seen them. I seen Paige, half her neck was missing. It was, it was ... parents shouldn’t have to see that.”

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She also said police told her of rumours about a possible relationship between the two but found no evidence, adding that a post-mortem examination confirmed Paige had not been pregnant.

She said: “Obviously there’s lots of rumours go about. They’re all lies. The police investigate everything. There’s never been a phone call, a text message, an email, any contact between any of the two of them.

“No, she was an innocent 15-year-old, she walked into a shop to buy a roll, trusted the person and he’s attacked her.”