A woman has been cleared of plotting to have the wedding ring finger of her ex-husband’s new wife chopped off – but has admitted trying to silence a witness.
Deborah Donald, also known as Leiper or Paton, was accused of hatching a plan to have drug addicts break into Danielle Paton’s home, cut off her finger and steal her wedding ring.
It was alleged that the 44-year-old, who was facing a charge of conspiracy, offered to pay the addicts £20,000 to carry out the scheme.
But after a key witness – former crack addict James Vidgen – told the court he couldn’t remember what he said to police in his statement, the Crown chose to drop the conspiracy charge.
However, Donald did plead guilty to a second charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice after police obtained a recording of her and her half-sister discussing how they would pressure a witness into retracting their police statement.
‘I was told by the police I was in danger’
Speaking to The Press and Journal at the end of the trial, Danielle Paton said she was “really disappointed” with the outcome and told how frightening it was when police turned up at her home out of the blue and said she could be attacked.
“It was terrifying. It made me feel petrified and caused a lot of distress as I was told by the police I was in danger,” Mrs Paton said.
“We sold the house and moved away because we feared for our safety.
“It really scared me.”
During the trial, witness Laura Sherrington, now known as Forbes, described how Donald invited her to her half-sister Naomi Donald’s home where they discussed “a job” and where she drew out a plan of Mrs Paton’s four-bedroom house in St Fergus.
Forbes claimed Donald asked her and her former partner Pavel Bogucki to break in, steal a number of watches, assault the woman, chop her finger off and steal her wedding ring.
She said Donald wanted her to cut off Mrs Paton’s finger and Forbes could “keeps the rings”.
“This was the woman who had stole Debbie’s husband and her house off her and was living the life she had,” she explained.
“She wanted her done in. She wanted her beaten up. She wanted her finger.”
But Forbes told fiscal depute Darren Harty that she had no intention of carrying out the scheme, adding that she only agreed so that Donald would continue to shell out money to feed her drug addiction.
Pavel Bogucki also took the witness stand and he claimed she had fabricated Donald’s involvement and admitted lying in his police statement at the time.
Key witness can’t remember if he was truthful
In evidence today, James Vidgen told Mr Harty he couldn’t remember giving a statement to police due to being a drug addict at the time.
He had originally told detectives he had overheard Donald and Forbes discussing the plot.
“Is it the case that you don’t know whether what you said in your statement is true?” Mr Harty asked Vidgen.
“Yes. I can’t tell whether it’s the truth,” Vidgen replied.
“Is it possible that Laura [Forbes] manipulated you?” Harty asked.
“That’s possible as well,” Vidgen responded.
Following Vidgen’s evidence, the Crown withdrew the charge of conspiracy against Donald and chose to no longer seek a conviction.
Incriminating phonecall
With regard to the charge that Donald and her half-sister discussed how they would pressure a witness into retracting their police statement, Mr Harty told the court that a telephone call took place between the pair which was recorded between April 9 2020 and July 1 2020.
“In that telephone call the accused is having a discussion with Miss Naomi Donald about approaching Laura Sherrington and asking her to retract her statement,” Mr Harty said.
“The conversation lasts for about 33 minutes and there are a number of references during that call where it is discussed about Laura Sherrington retracting her statement.
“The conversation went back and forth until Naomi Donald advised that she had spoken to Laura Sherrington about it but that she point blank refused to do it.”
Deborah Donald admitted one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Sentence was deferred in order for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out.
Donald, of Laburnam Grove, Peterhead, will return for sentencing next month.
