“Happy birthday in heaven to my best friend. I miss you more than words will ever explain.”
04:30, 18 Apr 2026Updated 09:56, 18 Apr 2026
Tragic Paige Doherty was murdered in 2016
The best friend of murdered teen Paige Doherty has paid tribute on her birthday – ten years on from the killing that shocked Scotland.
The 15-year-old was killed in a savage attack launched by John Leathem who left her with more than 140 wounds after she visited his takeaway in Clydebank on March 19, 2016. Letham pled guilty to murdering Paige and was originally sentenced to 27 years behind bars before his sentence was reduced to 23 years following an appeal.
Now, ten years since her tragic death, her childhood friend Lauren Mills has paid a touching tribute to Paige on Friday on what would have been the youngster’s 26th birthday. Posting alongside a collection of photographs of the pair, Lauren wrote: “Happy birthday in heaven to my best friend.
Teenager Paige Doherty was murdered by John Leathem 10 years ago(Image: PA)
“I miss you more than words will ever explain. I hope you’re celebrating up there the way we always would! Love you always.”
On March 19, 2016, Paige didn’t show up for her part-time job with a hairdresser after having slept at friend’s house. Police spoke to Leathem after another shopkeeper saw Paige enter his store shortly after 8.15am, however, no one saw her leave.
A neighbouring shopkeeper had told cops he had closed his shutters and kept them down for an hour or so that morning, having gone into his shop to buy bleach, gloves and bin bags.
Evil John Leathem who murdered 15-year-old schoolgirl Paige Doherty(Image: PA)
Leathem even called mum Pamela, 42, to reassure her that Paige hadn’t come into any harm in his shop. The murderer even made contact again the following day to supply rolls for the family during their search for Paige – but the family refused this offer.
On March 21, the schoolgirl’s body was found in a woodlands off Great Western Road. The next morning, Pamela was taken to the mortuary and shown into a room with a glass wall and a television screen and told she would have to view the body through the camera.
Paige’s head was tilted to one side. She later learned that was to hide most of the dozens of stab wounds, cuts and slashes to her neck, face and head.
Police at Delicious Deli where Paige was brutally murdered(Image: Daily Record)
Last month we reported that Paige’s mum, Pamela, had challenged her daughter’s killer to meet her face to face, as she searched for answers on why he murdered her in a fit of violence.
She said: “I want him to face me, look me in the eye and tell me why he took my daughter’s life when she had so much ahead of her.”
Speaking ten years on from her death last month, Pamela pledged to continue to support other families who had lost children in tragic circumstances. Just four months after Paige’s death, Pamela set up the charity, Paige’s Promise, in her honour.
Pamela alongside drawing of her daughter Paige(Image: Daily Record)
Fundraising efforts have included charity balls, long runs and kiltwalks. On March 21, she held a black and white ball on Saturday, March 21, at the Garfield Hotel in Stepps.
She also intends to return to campaigning for justice for victime. She wants to lobby for victims’ families to have the right to put their arguments before judges when a killer is seeking to have his sentence reduced.
She said: “It’s easy for politicians and everyone else to say that victims are at the heart of the justice system, but when you experience it, you realise the accused have all the rights.”
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Alongside campaigning, Pamela intends to try to help tackle the widespread scourge of violence against women and children in Scotland.
She added: “I’d like to put together courses on the fight against violence, ideally with help from the police and violence reduction team.
“We should have a two-pronged approach, helping give women and girls some basics about self-defence.
“But we need to put in a lot of work to educate young men and boys about the harm they can do, the lasting effect violence has on families like mine and make them want to reject a life of violence.”
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