The sister of the father accused of killing a top lawyer in a suspected murder-suicide attempt breaks her silence – as the unusual way the couple met is revealed

EXCLUSIVE

A top lawyer and her boyfriend split up and got back together just weeks before he allegedly beat her to death in a five-star hotel.

Alice Rose McShera’s body was found in a suite at Crown Towers in Perth at around 11am on Monday after the 34-year-old was allegedly beaten to death with a blunt object by her boyfriend Cameron John Pearson.

Pearson, 42, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning charged with murder.

On Wednesday, his sister Jessica Pearson had tears in her eyes as she told Daily Mail Australia the situation was “terrible” but said her family did not want to comment on the tragedy.

It can now be revealed that Ms McShera and Pearson had been together since January when she represented him during a custody battle for his now almost two-year-old daughter.

On Wednesday, the accused killer’s sister, Jessica Pearson, had tears in her eyes as she told Daily Mail Australia the situation was “terrible” but said her family did not want to comment on the tragedy

The body of Alice Rose McShera (pictured) was found in a suite at Crown Towers in Perth at around 11am on Monday after the 34-year-old was allegedly beaten to death with a blunt object by her boyfriend Cameron John Pearson

Ms McShera’s friend, who did not want to be named, told Daily Mail Australia the little girl was in the hotel room with the couple in the hours before Ms McShera’s death.

She explained that the couple holidayed together in Tasmania in September before they had a “big argument” and they split up.

The friend didn’t know what the argument was about, but said Pearson “stayed away for a while.”

However, the couple rekindled their relationship in October when she asked him to help her move.

On Thursday last week they checked in ahead of a WA Law Society gala at the Crown Towers on Friday evening.

As of Sunday, Pearson had custody of his daughter. According to the friend, that is The couple returned the child to his grandparents at 5pm, went back to the hotel and Ms McShera wrote her final Facebook post.

Cameron John Pearson, 42, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning charged with murder

On Thursday last week they checked in ahead of a WA Law Society gala at the Crown Towers on Friday evening.

“Spending the night before my next surgery…drinking Dom (Perignon champagne), watching old DVDs and loving life,” she wrote over a photo in the suite that showed a bottle of wine and a crib.

Later that night, a family member frantically called the hotel and asked staff to contact Ms. McShera.

Hotel staff found her body on Monday morning. Mr Pearson was taken to hospital with what were believed to be self-inflicted wounds before being charged with murder.

The friend said Mr Pearson’s parents were “devastated”.

He appeared in court on Tuesday supported by his family.

In Ms McShera’s last social media post, she said she had “spent the night before my next surgery drinking Dom (Perignon champagne), watching old DVDs and loving life”.

Ms McShera had over ten years’ experience as a lawyer and barrister and was a member of the Family Law Practitioners Association of Western Australia and the Law Society of Western Australia

About half a dozen members of Perth’s legal community sat in the public gallery, showing obvious distress.

“I hope Cameron can remember what happened because … he didn’t even realize he was in court that day,” the friend said.

“He doesn’t know what happened.”

Mr. Pearson was not required to enter a plea and twice refused to acknowledge that he understood the charges, despite speaking to his lawyer, Reid Hogan, during the trial.

Instead, he shrugged in response to Judge Stephen Butcher’s questions before being led out of the glass dock.

According to her website, Ms McShera worked primarily in the family court and was based at Murray Chambers in Perth’s CBD.

She had over 10 years of experience as an attorney and advocate and was a member of the Family Law Practitioners Association of Western Australia and the Law Society of Western Australia.

She has also appeared in the WA Supreme Court and Magistrates Court and previously worked as a clerk to a judge in the WA Family Court.

Ms McShera’s family (pictured) were also seen in the cramped courthouse alongside supporters of Pearson and Ms McShera