Smiling household picture reveals mum and a pair of youngsters – days later they had been all murderers

Joanne Maxwell, 44, recruited her own children Liam Donlin, 25, and Amie Clegg, 22, to murder a man on his own doorstep – a court heard she ‘encouraged and championed it’

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To onlookers, Joanne Maxwell and her family appeared to be a picture-perfect family unit. One photograph, snapped at a Race For Life fundraiser in Witton Park, Blackburn, showed Maxwell, 44, alongside her children Liam Donlin, 25, and Amie Clegg, 22, grinning at the camera with arms linked.

Yet lurking beneath this facade lay a much more sinister truth. Less than a fortnight following that joyful occasion, the trio reunited once more – to launch a vicious assault on a man at his own doorstep.

On Friday (January 30), the family sat together in the dock at Preston Crown Court, where they were collectively found guilty of murder. Maxwell, the intimidating head of the household, had a track record of brutality.

Evidence shown to jurors included a disturbing image of her wielding two knives, a spine-chilling testament to her previous convictions for weapons charges and threatening behaviour, Lancs Live reports.

During the three-week trial at Preston Crown Court, she remained expressionless as the horrifying particulars of her crime were examined in minute detail. She showed no reaction when footage of the moment her son, her eldest child, drove a knife into the chest of helpless Paul Scott was displayed on the massive screen before her.

When Liam entered the witness box to recount their actions, she simply sat back and allowed him to proceed. The backdrop to this ruthless murder started with Maxwell at a party that neither her son nor daughter had attended.

In August 2024, she returned to the home of Amie’s aunt following birthday festivities, accompanied by her partner James Joyce, known as Tubby.

During the early morning hours, harsh words were traded and a scuffle erupted between Maxwell and Tubby and another man, Charlie Elliot. Throughout the altercation, Maxwell received a punch – but when officers called on her the following day she stated she did not wish to provide a statement.

Rather, she issued a string of menacing warnings against Elliot, and his mate ‘Little’ Paul Scott, who had departed the gathering with him. Vicky Clegg, the party host, and her daughter Ellie, recounted telephone conversations the day following the altercation in which Maxwell and her daughter were ‘screaming and shouting.’

In texts presented to the jury, Maxwell declared she was going to t*** Paul Scott and vandalise his vehicle.

During the time of the altercation, Liam was behind bars, having been imprisoned for his involvement in a rampage of brutality at pubs in Blackburn and Darwen, which saw him boot a man in the head whilst he lay helpless on the ground. But whilst her son served the rest of his term, Maxwell’s resentment festered.

Merely weeks before his death, Paul confided to his niece that he feared Maxwell and Donlin, declaring, ‘they’re going to get me. You wait – they’re going to get me.’

Amie revealed that her mum was ‘trying to behave’ – but all that changed on June 21, 2025. After a drinking session in Blackburn pubs, Maxwell and Amie Clegg got in touch with Donlin – who was out of prison but banned from boozing in pubs – and the trio hailed a taxi back to their Lynwood Avenue home in Darwen.

The taxi driver painted Maxwell as ‘the calm one’, sitting in the front seat orchestrating the journey. Initially, she requested to be dropped off at ‘Pedro Place’ – later identified as Peridot Close and Paul Scott’s residence.

However, she altered the plan and redirected the taxi to their house.

Describing his passengers, the cabbie noted that Amie was glued to her phone – the prosecution suggested she was trying to track down Charlie Elliot. Liam was becoming ‘angrier and angrier’ and getting ‘really charged up’, according to the taxi driver.

Once back home, the self-proclaimed drug dealer turned to Snapchat in an attempt to secure a ‘ting’ (firearm) and ‘dinger’ (unlicensed car). When these efforts proved fruitless, they grabbed four knives from the kitchen block and set off to Peridot Close in Maxwell’s Hyundai.

En route, Donlin was overheard on the phone telling a mate he was going to ‘chop this kid up’ and share it on Snapchat.

His sister, who had previously visited Paul’s flat, guided them along the way, stashing knives in her handbag. Upon arrival, she used her mobile to record as they approached the door under the cover of darkness.

Aware of Paul’s terror of her mother and brother, it was Clegg who bellowed through the door demanding Paul get out of bed.

But the moment he opened the door, Donlin attacked him, driving a knife into his exposed chest and piercing his heart.

As Paul lay dying on the kitchen floor, Amie dialled 999 and provided false identities.

When told to perform CPR, she declared the victim was already deceased – and upon paramedics’ arrival, she falsely claimed they had discovered Paul already wounded during a visit – a fabrication her mother calmly echoed at the scene.

All three denied murder, with Donlin insisting he had merely intended to intimidate Paul when he armed himself with the blade.

Maxwell and Clegg remained silent during police questioning and offered no testimony during their trial.

However, following just three hours of deliberation, the jury convicted all three of murder and found both women guilty of possessing a bladed weapon – a charge Donlin had previously admitted.

On March 20, 2026, they will face sentencing for Paul Scott’s murder.

Concluding the prosecution’s case, Richard Littler KC outlined the evidence against each defendant.

Describing Maxwell’s involvement, he stated: “Let’s be frank about it – the reason they are all here is because of her.

“She was the catalyst, the reason for her own son to want to kill. The reason an intention was formed to chop up or cause really serious injury to Paul Scott. She not only encouraged it, she championed it. She was the director and producer of this violent movie.”