Nicholas Prosper has been charged with three murders
An 18-year-old has appeared in court charged with the murder of a woman and two teenagers in Luton.
The bodies of Juliana Prosper, 48, Giselle Prosper, 13, and Kyle Prosper, 16, were found at a flat in Leabank, off Wauluds Bank Drive, on Friday.
Juliana Prosper was among the victims
Wearing a grey jumper, Nicholas Prosper, of Leabank, spoke to confirm his name and date of birth at Luton Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.
Prosper, the son and brother of the victims, has also been charged with a number of other offences, the court heard.
According to the court's list, Prosper is charged with purchasing or acquiring a 12-ball Nikko shotgun in Luton without holding a certificate on 12 September and possession of a shotgun on 13 September.
Prosper was also charged with possession of a bladed article, a kitchen knife, in a public place on Bramingham Road on 13 September.
The court's public gallery was full of family members during Prosper's short appearance in the dock.
Deputy district judge Robert Borwick remanded Prosper into custody and ordered him to appear at Luton Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
A friend of the victim said Juliana Prosper "lived for her children" and said she was "a positive person who will be so terribly missed".
A statement on X, from the headteacher at Lea Manor High School, said they were "deeply shocked" by the death of Giselle Prosper.
"Giselle was a beautiful soul and a model pupil, she excelled in all her subjects and will be sorely missed, particularly by her friends in Year 9."
Kyle Prosper's school described the incident as "devastating" and offered "heartfelt condolences" to his family.
A statement issued by Cardinal Newman Catholic School said: "This is devastating news to all those who knew and loved Kyle and it will take some time to come to terms with the profound sense of loss.
"We know this will be a difficult time for students and staff and we will do all we can to support them with love and compassion.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to Kyle's family on their immeasurable loss, to his friends and to all those in neighbouring schools who are coming to terms with their own loss."
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Millionaire heiress found dead in pool was killed by her husband for her £4m fortune, judge rules
Paula Leeson's body was found in a swimming pool at a holiday cottage in Denmark in 2017. Her husband Donald McPherson, who was cleared of her murder in 2021, was blocked from inheriting her £4.4m estate after her family brought legal proceedings against him.
A husband cleared of the murder of his wealthy wife has been blocked from inheriting her £4.4m estate after a judge ruled he did drown her in a swimming pool while on holiday.
The body of millionaire heiress Paula Leeson, 47, was found at a remote holiday cottage in Denmark in 2017.
Her death was initially treated as a tragic accident by the Danish authorities - though she had suffered 13 separate external injuries.
The summer break was booked by her husband Donald McPherson, 51 - who had taken out multiple secret life insurance policies on his wife before her death.
He went on trial accused of her murder in 2021 - and proceedings were dramatically halted halfway through when the judge ruled that despite circumstantial evidence, a jury could not be sure to the criminal standard - beyond reasonable doubt - that he had killed her.
McPherson was ordered to be found not guilty of the murder of his wife on the judge's direction to the jury.
Ms Leeson's family brought legal proceedings against him at Manchester Civil Courts of Justice, to block him benefiting from her death and her estate.
Ms Leeson's brother Neville Leeson (left) and father Willy Leeson (right) outside Manchester Civil Courts of Justice. Pic: PA
Following hearings earlier this year, Mr Justice Richard Smith on Friday ruled McPherson had killed his wife - and the "clear" motive was "money".
"Don deliberately and unlawfully killed Paula by compressing her neck in an arm lock rendering her unconscious and causing her body to enter the pool to ensure her drowning and death," he said.
"Don's motive for unlawfully killing Paula Leeson is clear: money."
Mr Justice Smith said the "critical question" was how Ms Leeson - who was 5ft 5in tall - came to be in the water, which was only 4ft deep, and unable to save herself.
He said she must have been unconscious and the distribution of her neck injuries suggested compression from an arm lock by her husband.
He added: "It is no exaggeration to say that lies and dishonesty pervade every aspect of Don's life. Don lies to anyone if it might serve his interests."
McPherson was not present or represented in court and is believed to be living somewhere in the South Pacific.
Ms Leeson's elderly father, Willy Leeson, her brother, Neville, and her son, Ben, were in court for the ruling.
Speaking outside the court, the family called on Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to reopen the murder investigation.
"Today is bittersweet. It has been very difficult for us to hear this outcome without it being followed by the sentencing of Donald McPherson to prison," their statement said.
"This was a pre-meditated, cold-blooded murder, entirely motivated by Donald McPherson's wicked greed, to seek to benefit from insurance policies totalling £3.9m, the majority of which he had incepted dishonestly, deceptively and without Paula's knowledge."
They added they would not rest until McPherson - who they called "an evil, dangerous man" - is behind bars for killing their loved one.
The family run a successful skip and plant hire business in Sale, Greater Manchester, which Ms Leeson and her brother stood to inherit.
It was where she met McPherson, who used a "cover story" of being an orphan to hide his past after serving jail time for an £11m bank fraud in Germany.
Born Alexander James Lang and originally from New Zealand, McPherson was described as a "Walter Mitty" who had changed his name multiple times, had 32 convictions spanning 15 years in three countries, and whose previous wife and their child died in a house fire.
Ms Leeson and McPherson wed at a no-expense-spared ceremony at a Cheshire castle in 2014 after a "whirlwind romance".
McPherson has always denied any involvement in his wife's death and after he was acquitted of murder, in a statement through his solicitors, he described it as a "tragic accident".
His lawyers had argued Ms Leeson's injuries could be a result of her rescue from the pool and resuscitation attempts and pathologists could not rule out that she could have fainted or accidentally fallen into the pool and drowned.
Donald McPherson aka Donald Somers aka Alan Atkins, born Alexander Lang in New Zealand. Be sure to like this page and follow us on https://disqus.com/home/forum/definitely-not-the-chit-chat-channel-blogspot-com/
