Man Pleads Guilty to Murder of Leeds Woman in Shocking Confession
John Bootland, 57, has admitted killing 62-year-old Colleen Westerman last November. His dramatic guilty plea at Leeds Crown Court finally brings an end to weeks of anxious waiting for the shattered community.
Brutal Murder Shakes Quiet Woodhouse Street
On the night of Thursday, 6 November 2025, police were called to a chaotic scene at a home on Melville Gardens, Woodhouse. Emergency crews found Colleen with multiple serious injuries and she was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
Sentencing Set for April as Police Praise Guilty Plea
Bootland, who lived at the same Melville Gardens address, will face sentencing on 1 April 2026. Detective Inspector Tom Hilyer, leading the investigation, said:
“We welcome Bootland’s guilty plea today, particularly as it has spared Colleen’s family the ordeal of a trial. We now await Bootland’s sentencing and our thoughts remain with family members at what remains a very difficult time.”
