A mother and her two children have been convicted of the murder of a man at his residence. Joanne Maxwell, along with her offspring Liam Donlin and Amie Clegg, were found guilty of the killing of Paul Scott in August 2024. The court trial at Preston Crown Court revealed Maxwell’s repeated threats towards Mr. Scott and his acquaintance Charlie Evans following an altercation after her daughter’s 21st birthday party.
Maxwell expressed intentions to harm Mr. Scott and damage his vehicle in messages presented to the jury. She enlisted the help of her son, Liam Donlin, who had a history of violence and was previously incarcerated for violent incidents in pubs in Blackburn.
On June 21, 2025, Maxwell, Clegg, and Donlin visited several pubs in Blackburn, although Donlin was prohibited from entering pubs due to a Criminal Behaviour Order. Later, they gathered knives from their home in Darwen and headed to Mr. Scott’s flat. Clegg, who was related to Mr. Scott, guided the group to the flat while Donlin sent threatening messages.
Upon arrival, Clegg recorded the encounter on a phone as Donlin fatally stabbed Mr. Scott. The trio did not attempt to help the victim, and Maxwell and Clegg falsely claimed to have found him injured when they checked on him out of concern.
The jury unanimously found all three guilty of murder after less than three hours of deliberation. They were taken into custody and await sentencing on March 20. Mr. Scott’s family expressed their profound grief over the loss and thanked those involved in securing the convictions. Detective Superintendent John McNamara of Lancashire Police highlighted the roles of each perpetrator in the crime and extended condolences to the victim’s family for enduring the trial process.
