By Maxine McArthur
THE devastated mother of schoolgirl Paige Doherty said her daughter's murderer should be "utterly ashamed" of himself for causing the family more heartache after he lodged an appeal against his sentence.
Pamela Munro told the Clydebank Post of her outrage at John Leathem's plan to appeal his jail term just two weeks after he was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years for the 15-year-old's murder.
She said: "If I could see him just now I'd tell him 'You've already destroyed a family and now you're putting us through this'."
READ MORE: I want to ask Leatham 'face-to-face' why he killed her
Earlier today, the Court of Criminal Appeal confirmed the killer's intent to appeal the sentence.
A spokesman for the Court of Criminal Appeal, based in Edinburgh, said: "He has appealed against his sentence."
But the 33-year-old mother of three said his plans show a total "lack of remorse" for his barbaric killing of Paige.
She added: "Myself and Andrew are disappointed to hear he's going to appeal.
"It's crazy that he thinks he deserves to have less time given how brutal the crime was.
"It makes us, as a family, feel like he's not remorseful because if he was he would accept the time given to him.
"He didn't look remorseful and I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt thinking maybe he was but this shows me isn't.
READ MORE: I want to ask Leatham 'face-to-face' why he killed her
Judge Lady Rae rejected Leathem's supposed motive for the attack and handed out the high sentence, which she reduced from 30 years due to his guilty plea – which the beloved teen's family are truly grateful for.
Ms Munro added: "He tried to ruin Paige's name with his motive and it never worked, every step of the way he's tried to get to us as a family and it just hasn't worked.
"We have put our faith in the justice system and backed it every step of the way.
"We believed they did give justice for Paige. Lady Rae did an amazing job, she remained impartial the entire time and gave the highest sentence she could.
"I would like to believe they will reject the appeal but I understand they have a job to do."
Since Paige's body was discovered in March, the Clydebank community has stood firmly behind Pamela and her husband, Andrew, as they fought to keep their daughter's memory alive and that support has carried on today.
READ MORE: I want to ask Leatham 'face-to-face' why he killed her
Hundreds of messages of support, shock and anger have flooded in since the tragedy.
"Everybody feels the same way as us," Ms Munro said.
"I don't think he should have human rights, where were my daughter's human rights?
"I'm not saying don't feed him – give him his three meals a day – but he doesn’t need a TV or other comforts.
"He should suffer and serve his time and it should be hard."
As the family prepare for the possiblity of a long appeal process ahead, they are prepared to push through with one goal in sight – justice for Paige.
Ms Munro said: "I expected it. I was prepared.
"I thought 'he knows he has got the right to appeal so he's going to take it'.
"But I'm ready to face it – I've faced worse."
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