A shop owner has been jailed for at least 27 years for the murder of 15-year-old customer Paige Doherty in his back office.
John Leathem, 32, stabbed the teenager more than 60 times when she stopped at his Delicious Deli in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, on March 19, and he dumped her body in bushes two days later.
The married father-of-two was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow to life with a minimum term of 27 years on Thursday after pleading guilty to her murder at an earlier hearing.
Speaking outside court, Paige’s mother Pamela said: “Today we see a monster put behind bars for the unthinkable, brutal crime he committed against our daughter Paige.
“There is no sentence high enough to justify what has happened but we can now see there is one less evil man in this world, which then makes the world that bit more safe for our kids to grow up in.”
She went on: “All we can do as a family is take each day at a time. There is a huge piece missing in our family that can never be replaced.
“I am thankful for the 15 years we had with Paige, from the kind and generous wee soul she was, to the mature young woman she grew into.
“She may not be with us anymore but she will live on through her brothers and sister and all the memories that we share.”
She thanked the police investigation team and officials who worked on the case, and the public for the support they have given the family over the last seven months.
Speaking after the sentencing, Nicky Patrick, procurator fiscal for homicide and major crime, said “Paige Doherty was a bright young girl full of energy and vitality who was robbed of her future by John Leathem.
“Her murder has caused shock and disbelief amongst her family and the local community.
“After the frenzied attack, Leathem did his best to evade justice by attempting to clean the crime scene and hide behind his lies. The overwhelming evidence against him has ensured that he now has to answer for this appalling crime.”
