Aunt of Paige Doherty describes the chilling moment she stared into the eyes of her teen niece’s killer
Sharon Bothwell is now pleading for answers surrounding the 15-year-old's death
TRAGIC Paige Doherty’s aunt stared down her niece's killer in court and told how 'cold and calculated' John Leathem had destroyed their family.
Sharon Bothwell told how the warped deli owner had stolen their “angel” after killing her in a 'frenzied stabbing attack'.
Sharon, of Tollcross, Glasgow, first saw Leathem as he stood in the dock yesterday.
She said: “I couldn’t believe that was him standing in front of us. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him.
“He just stood there. He was cold and calculated.”
And the 44-year-old, whose brother is Paige’s dad John, challenged the monster with a direct plea for answers.
She sobbed: “You have destroyed our family. How could you do this? Why did you do this? Paige was just a wee girl. She was just a child.
“It just doesn’t make sense. Paige was wonderful and now she’s been taken from us and we don’t know why.
“She was an angel and she didn’t deserve this.”
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The 15-year-old's body was found in a wooded area in the West Dunbartonshire town on 21 March.
She had more than 140 injuries and been stabbed 61 times.
Paige was last seen entering a deli owned by 32-year-old Leathem.
He admitted her murder and claimed to have "panicked" after Paige threatened to report him for sexual assault after she applied for a job.
At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lady Rae deferred sentence on Leathem until next month and told the married father-of-two: "This was a savage, frenzied attack on a child."
Sharon told how she wept as CCTV footage of Leathem moving Paige’s body in a black bin bag was played to the court.
She said: “She was in black bags. Paige in black bags. It was incredibly hard to watch.”
And she revealed Paige’s dad was too distraught to attend court.
Sharon said: “Her daddy just couldn’t take it. We are all devastated but he is broken.
“She was so tiny and so petite — she didn’t stand a chance. Paige was only 4ft 8in tall. How could he do that, inflict all those injuries?”
Sharon also spoke about how her niece would often visit her and the close relationship they shared.
She said: “Paige was kind and caring, a really loving wee girl. She was wonderful. We all loved her so much.
“She was so looking forward to turning 16. And now we are just devastated.”
Paige's grandfather last night said it would be an “insult” to her memory if her killer escapes with less than a 30-year sentence.
Willie Munro, 54, told of the family’s torment after learning the extent of the frenzied injuries inflicted on her by Leathem.
And he blasted her killer for concocting a web of lies to try to smear Paige’s character and slammed rumours that she was in a relationship with the married deli owner.
Willie said: “I hope Leathem gets 30 years for what he did to Paige but we will never get any true justice. A sentence of 100 years would not be justice.
“It would be an insult to her memory if he gets less than 30 years because this murder of a lovely girl has to be at the worst end of the scale.”