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John Bootland Jailed for Life for Murder of Colleen Westerman

His guilty plea spared the family a trial.

Overview

  • Bootland, 57, received a life sentence with a 15-year minimum at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting to murdering 62-year-old Colleen Westerman.
  • Police found Westerman with multiple injuries at a home on Melville Gardens in Woodhouse, Leeds, on November 6, 2025, after reports of a disturbance.
  • West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team led the inquiry and charged Bootland two days after the killing.
  • In court, relatives called Bootland selfish and said he robbed them of a mum and grandmother, with one saying they had to tell a child that her grandma is with the angels.
  • Bootland entered his guilty plea in January 2026, and Detective Inspector Tom Hilyer said the plea avoided a trial and hoped the sentence offers the family some measure of comfort.