A British woman and her two children will spend decades behind bars after carrying out a chilling, premeditated revenge killing that ended with a man’s final moments captured on camera.
Joanne Maxwell, 44, along with her son Liam Donlin, 25, and daughter Amie Clegg, 22, were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 37-year-old Paul Scott, who was stabbed to death on his own doorstep in Blackburn, northern England.
The attack, which unfolded on June 22, 2025, was as calculated as it was brutal. According to Lancashire Police, Donlin stabbed Scott in the heart while Clegg filmed the killing on Snapchat. Maxwell, the architect of the plot, stood by as it happened.
As Scott pleaded “No, no, no,” Donlin forced his way into the home and carried out the fatal attack. Police later confirmed that the victim’s final moments were audibly captured in the footage.
The murder was the culmination of months of escalating threats. Authorities said the plot began in September 2024 after Maxwell became involved in an altercation. Scott had only attempted to defuse the situation—but he was later singled out as a target.
In the months that followed, Maxwell sent repeated threats, warning that “time is ticking.” By June 2025, those threats turned into action.
On the night before the killing, the family gathered at a pub, where tensions reignited with individuals connected to the earlier dispute. Shortly after, Maxwell and Clegg contacted Donlin—who had recently been released from prison—and urged him to carry out an attack.
The three returned home, armed themselves with kitchen knives, and drove to Scott’s house.
During the drive, Donlin sent a series of voice messages outlining his intentions. In one, he said he was going to stab Scott. In another, he promised to film the attack and share it on Snapchat.
When they arrived, Clegg knocked on Scott’s door, believing he would be more likely to answer for her. Moments later, Donlin barged inside and carried out the fatal stabbing as Clegg recorded and Maxwell watched.
After the attack, Clegg called police using a fake name, claiming they had simply discovered Scott injured. Maxwell repeated the same story when officers arrived.
Investigators quickly unraveled the lies. All three were arrested and charged.
Following a 13-day trial at Preston Crown Court, a jury unanimously found Maxwell, Donlin, and Clegg guilty of murder. Maxwell and Clegg were also convicted of possessing a knife.
In court, Scott’s brother delivered a devastating victim impact statement, describing the killing as an “unimaginable act of cruelty.”
“Pauly was taken from us… murdered in his own home,” he said. “A premeditated act of brutality… recorded, filmed, documented.”
He added that his brother “took his final breaths on film at the hands of these monsters,” and said the thought of his final moments—filled with fear, confusion, and betrayal—would haunt him forever.
Maxwell was given a minimum term of 23 years, Donlin 26 years, and Clegg 20 years before they can be considered for parole.
