Man in Britain drives car into the ocean and swims back to shore after girlfriend’s death. He says she stabbed herself

After his girlfriend’s death, a British man named Aren Pearson reportedly drove his Porsche into the ocean off the coast of Shetland, Scotland, and then swam back to shore, an act that has become one of the most chilling details in a murder trial now unfolding in Edinburgh.

Pearson, 41, stands accused of killing 24-year-old Claire Leveque, his Canadian girlfriend, who was 24 when she died, before trying to cover up what happened. But he maintains that Leveque stabbed herself in a moment of distress and that he did what he did afterwards while in shock.

A relationship turned deadly

It all began on February 11, 2024, when Leveque was found dead in a blood-filled hot tub inside a garage on Pearson’s mother’s property in Sandness, Shetland. Prosecutors say she suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest, blunt-force trauma, and signs of neck compression and submersion.

The Crown alleges that after killing her, Pearson attempted to mislead her family by sending messages suggesting she was alive and planning to return to Canada. According to court records, he also falsified travel plans and told relatives she was in “good health.”

Investigators say that shortly afterward, Pearson drove his car off a pier into the sea. He later emerged from the water, disoriented but alive, before being taken to the hospital.

During a 999 call played in court, jurors heard Pearson allegedly say, “I’ve just killed my girlfriend … stabbed her about 40 times … I drove my Porsche into the ocean.” He now insists the statement was misunderstood, saying he was in shock and not thinking clearly.

What Pearson says happened

According to the defense, Pearson did not kill Leveque. Instead, they claim that after drinking heavily, she stabbed herself during an argument that spiraled out of control. Pearson’s lawyers say he has gaps in his memory from that night and believes he may have driven into the sea in a dissociative state.

In testimony, Pearson’s late mother, Hazel Pearson — who has since died — described her son appearing “like a zombie” after the incident. She told police that he confessed to driving into the sea and injuring himself. Prosecutors countered that his behavior reflected guilt, not trauma.

An emergency room doctor also testified that Pearson said he had been “trying to get rid of her for a while.” The defense insists he meant he was trying to send Leveque back to Canada, not harm her.

Pearson faces seven criminal counts, including murder, assault, abusive behavior, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. As of mid-October 2025, the trial remains ongoing. No verdict has been reached, and Pearson continues to assert his innocence.