Innocence destroyed
Teen murder victim Paige Doherty’s best friend tells of anguish ‘Her killer broke so many hearts... mine included’
been lovingly placed by the deli where she was killed.
It lies in the heart of a community struggling to cope with the loss of the much-loved teenager.
Many parents feel their daughters could easily have been victims of violent Leathem.
“We had evil living in our midst and didn’t know it,” said Angel’s dad John.
“Leathem took one of our children and killed her. It could have been any one of them.
“I hug my children every night and appreciate I have them safe with me.
“And our hearts absolutely break for Paige’s family. How hard it must be to live knowing your lovely daughter was murdered, and so horribly.
“I hope they lock Leathem up for at least 30 years. He should crawl into a corner and hope the world forgets about him and what he did.
“But no one will forget Paige. She will always be remembered by her community here in Clydebank.
“Leathem has just made her family’s agony much worse with his lies.
“His story about her threatening to tell people he touched her unless he gave her a job is all lies.
“He has no shame or remorse. He only pleaded guilty because of was trapped by DNA evidence and CCTV camera footage.”
The CCTV footage played in court showed Paige entering the deli early in the morning of March 19.
But detectives quickly established there was no footage of her leaving, putting them hot on Leathem’s trail.
They quickly pulled together incontrovertible evidence pointing to his guilt.
Faced with such an overwhelming amount of evidence against him, he admitted the murder when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow last week.
Leathem, 32, will be sentenced on October 12 and has been placed on suicide watch behind bars.
Amanda was rarely, if ever, in his shop, but added: “People said they didn’t like Leathem.
“Folk thought he was creepy and said inappropriate things.”
Back home in her bedroom, adorned with pictures of her favourite pop stars, Angel stares at a favoured snap of her with her pal.
It shows the pair of them dressed up for a community dance.
“She was a star,” she added. “She was a light that burned so very brightly and the world is a darker place without her because of this horrendous crime.”
She was a light that burned so very brightly Child-killer John Leathem is awaiting sentencing for knifing tiny Paige Doherty.
His crime shocked the whole of Scotland, but its impact has been particularly difficult for those who were closest to Paige.
Here, the 15-year-old’s best friend, Angel White, reveals the impact it has had on her.