UK - Alesha MacPhail, 6, raped & murdered, Ardbeg, Isle of Bute, Scotland, 2 Jul 2018 -*arrest* #6

[Yenriac]

I have a feeling he's been a night time creeper in and around people's houses before. Thrill seeking.

Me too.

 

[Kiranerys]

That's the risky behavior, adrenalin rush addiction of a psychopath.That's their kind of "fun".

He would've said he was there to get drugs and the door was open,they would've believed him and sent him on his way,they would never in a million years think he was about to do what he did

 

[TaylorCallum]

Humans are scary. Like I know most people aren't sadistic murderers but you just never know with some people, do you? It's crazy how we're apparently the most "evolved" beings on Earth but we're also capable of the most cruelty and depravity. I think this is why I prefer my cat. The fact that there are psychopaths and sociopaths all around and blending in is creepy. And honestly, these are very much human traits. I know it's monstrous to the average person but they do originate in the human brain and they are still very much human. Not the moral kind but they still are. Crazy.

 

[bfin1995]

I have a feeling he's been a night time creeper in and around people's houses before. Thrill seeking.

This is a good point and it makes me wonder if he'd been inside their flat before. Would explain how he managed to move around undetected.

 

[Kikixxxx]

It’s got me questioning everyone, it sounds daft but I’m honestly second guessing everyone around me and it’s not healthy. I should really unwatch this thread as it’s taken up so much of my life already but I can’t bring myself too

 

[Cappuccino]

Humans are scary. Like I know most people aren't sadistic murderers but you just never know with some people, do you? It's crazy how we're apparently the most "evolved" beings on Earth but we're also capable of the most cruelty and depravity. I think this is why I prefer my cat. The fact that there are psychopaths and sociopaths all around and blending in is creepy. And honestly, these are very much human traits. I know it's monstrous to the average person but they do originate in the human brain and they are still very much human. Not the moral kind but they still are. Crazy.

Yep. You know where you stand with cats.

 

[Bluedaisy100]

Thank you so much TaylorCallum! What an amazing experience you had. When you described AC looking at you in court, I got goosebumps. Was it creepy or just nonchalant?

 

[Ardoch]

This is a good point and it makes me wonder if he'd been inside their flat before. Would explain how he managed to move around undetected.

Did he actually see Alesha the first time he was in the flat?

 

[TaylorCallum]

Thank you so much TaylorCallum! What an amazing experience you had. When you described AC looking at you in court, I got goosebumps. Was it creepy or just nonchalant?

No bother! It was just a brief glance. It wasn't actually creepy. strangely enough. I was one of the first people he would have seen as he turned around to leave, he probably wasn't even paying that much attention but I definitely was lol.

 

[Bluedaisy100]

No bother! It was just a brief glance. It wasn't actually creepy. strangely enough. I was one of the first people he would have seen as he turned around to leave, he probably wasn't even paying that much attention but I definitely was lol.

I've obviously got an overactive imagination! Thanks again for your good work.

 

[Ardoch]

Humans are scary. Like I know most people aren't sadistic murderers but you just never know with some people, do you? It's crazy how we're apparently the most "evolved" beings on Earth but we're also capable of the most cruelty and depravity. I think this is why I prefer my cat. The fact that there are psychopaths and sociopaths all around and blending in is creepy. And honestly, these are very much human traits. I know it's monstrous to the average person but they do originate in the human brain and they are still very much human. Not the moral kind but they still are. Crazy.

People like AC don't come along often - thankfully.
I think perhaps in the future gene testing and brain scanning will be used to predict behaviour patterns and psychological make up much more than it does now.
There was a case - can't find it at the moment, where they argued using the science of brain patterns of a psychopath coupled with a very abusive childhood background that the criminal was morally unable to understand the significance of his crime.
Clearly not the case with AC.

If there is anything to come out of this, perhaps a change in assessing children under the age of eighteen by using pioneering methods might prove useful and preventative.

 

[gitana1]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say l have a modicum of sympathy for Aaron Campbell's parents. Regardless of whatever failings they are guilty of*, l can't imagine how it feels to create, give birth and raise a monster like that.

*at this point in time, all we know is one works away - not uncommon- and one is fond of a drink, which might be said if many mothers trying to cope by themselves. More may come out in the coming weeks, we shall see.

That's compassionate of you. I wish I could be as reasonable at the moment.

I'm having a hard time hearing his mother continue to defend him as a sweet boy and frame him as one she tried to protect, rather than seeing him as the one from whom people needed to be protected. She also seems to blame it all on marijuana which is silly.

This kid is a psychopath and his mother seems to be an enabler. I think she should keep her thoughts to herself except to extend her deepest sympathy to the family of little Alesha.

Her comments have to sting Alesha's loved ones.

 

[gitana1]

Whoa so some of the jury came to sit in the public gallery? I wonder how they felt when they heard he had admitted it. Isn’t it scary how the justice system works tho? Imagine the jury consisted of some of the ppl on this thread who were absolutely adamant it was all one big cover up and Aaron Campbell was a scapegoat.. even after the jury found him guilty they were still adamant. the reality that if those ppl had been chosen for jury service this monster would of walked free, and by his own account would quite literally laughed in everyone’s faces? Chilling.

Oh boy. You had some of those on here? Glad I wasn't around to witness that.

 

[Bootlace15]

No bother! It was just a brief glance. It wasn't actually creepy. strangely enough. I was one of the first people he would have seen as he turned around to leave, he probably wasn't even paying that much attention but I definitely was lol.

Wow! It must have been surreal. Despite my lack of posts, I've invested far too much time and interest in this case. Just such a sad case and unbelievable but true. Think so many didn't want to believe what was so clearly true and tried to find a better story. Thank you so much to all for the updates throughout the trial and sentencing,especially to you TaylorCallum for today. Brave but interesting!

 

[Badabing]

I attempted to watch the live stream today but had to switch it off half way through. I actually found out quite a lot about myself as i sat fighting back tears, a 30 year old man. The thought of Alesha so innocently asking where she was going was just too much for me. There’s no way on earth I could have had the mental strength to sit in that jury.

This case has had such an unexpected affect on me. I’m not sure if it’s due to living in the west of Scotland or possibly because it’s the first crime of its nature since having kids myself. I remember hearing about the crime initially and having a horrible feeling as it was reported that the family’s cars etc were being searched, I think a lot of people wrongly jump to this conclusion so quickly. One thing that has really stuck with me is a friend who has links to the area saying to me a day or two after the murder that “ It was a 16 year old boy, his mum apparently knows what he’s like and knew it would’ve been him straight away” he also said “ there was loads of stuff that would come out but he couldn’t say”. I know this is just hearsay but a lot of it has proved to be true, at the time I couldn’t comprehend it.

I think since that day I have been going over the same questions in my head. Especially after seeing the picture and video of him. How could this 16 year old boy possibly commit a crime of this nature and how bad must he have been for his own mother and people in the area to think that he could possibly be guilty of this. I still can’t wrap my head around it and never will. How these creatures actually live among us.

The trial was a complete and utter head , I think he proved what a manipulative psychopath he is as he managed to con many although thankfully not the jury into believing his malicious lies. I must say I never for one second believed a word that came out his mouth and was repulsed at those questions put to TM.

I hope that although how unbearingly painful it will be Aleshas family can can remember her for the sweet innocent little angel she was and that AC has as miserable a life as is humanly possible or even better, no life at all.

Sorry for the longwinded post. I think in a way I just wanted to put in words an end to this for myself.

 

[TaylorCallum]

Wow! It must have been surreal. Despite my lack of posts, I've invested far too much time and interest in this case. Just such a sad case and unbelievable but true. Think so many didn't want to believe what was so clearly true and tried to find a better story. Thank you so much to all for the updates throughout the trial and sentencing,especially to you TaylorCallum for today. Brave but interesting!

It really was! I know, I think we all have. It's really engrossed us. It's crazy how we can all get wrapped up in something that isn't even personal to us. But I guess that's why we're all here because we have an interest in true crime. I agree, truly sad. Thank you!

 

[Bravo]

There is great support on these boards when one needs to vent. I have attended a few trials. One of my last was that of a male/female who lured an 8 year old girl for a rape murder. That was my last for a child. They are forever seared in your brain. My strength came from meeting the Father and Grandmother and support here.

 

[Keeneye]

I’m really tired of reading about cannabis! He didn’t have any and IMO the only contributing fact was RM dealt it . Alcohol is a major
Problem and we continually dismiss it !

 

[gitana1]

I arrived at the High Court around 9am and I saw the media already outside. I walked by a police officer and some members of the public. I waited a good few feet away from the entrance and went on my phone to check news reports and come on here. I then looked up from my phone and Angela looked right at me as she walked a foot in front of me. It took me a second to process who she was and then I felt awful for her. I saw Calum as well, walking beside her. I then realised the media started taking photos so I had to move around a wall to the side.

I lingered outside for 5 minutes or so and then decide to go inside. Did the usual security/metal detector check and was feeling pretty nervous. I had never been in the High Court before. I walked over to one of the screens to look for the sentencing, it said it was in Court 6. I then saw Rab standing in a corner. I sat down on one of the chairs. There were quite a lot of police, barristers, a bunch of other legal staff plus there were I think 3 other cases going on at the same time so families and friends for other trials were coming and going too. I even heard a few people saying "It's even busier than normal today". I then saw Toni and Rab walking together, I think they had just come out of a witness room. Shortly after that I saw Georgina arrive, she looked distraught but she gave a woman a hug and she was surrounded by family. It must have been about 9:20am now and it was expected to start at 9;30am. I was getting even more nervous as it went on. I saw Georgina and her family get taken into a separate room and I assume they were getting briefed on certain things. We were waiting around for a while. A police officer came over and asked if I was a member of the public and wanting to go into Court 6, I said yes and she reminded me that no photographs were allowed. I kept checking on here for updates and comments to pass the time as it felt like it was going in so slowly. It started to get busier as the time went on.

It was around 10:30am when the family were called into the courtroom first. Then after that the press were called in and finally the public. We were told that the press had to keep their phones on silent and all members of the public were to keep their phones switched off. I walked into the room and it felt really sombre, I'd never been into a courtroom and didn't know quite what to expect or what the layout would be like. There were rows of two seats on the left hand side, the stairs as you walked in, the larger main seating area in the middle and then more rows of two seats on the right hand side. It was nearly full, I ended up sitting near a lot of the press right at the front in the middle. The family were sat right in the centre in the middle. There was a wooden partition with glass on top that separated us from the Aaron and the rest of the court. Aaron walked in with two guards. One male and one female who sat either side of him with their back to us. He was handcuffed to the female guard. He was wearing a grey suit, the same one from prom and the trial I believe. He had longish hair which swooped down into a fringe. Mr McConnachie was sat in front of Aaron sideways on and to the right. The judge came in and we all stood up.

One of the first thing that struck us was when Lord Matthews told us about the psychologist report and informed us that Aaron had admitted responsibility for the crime. I'm sure there were a few audible gasps in the room. The atmosphere was so tense. Most of the rest of it was Mr McConnachie's speech which was well reported in the press. He spoke about Aaron's "less than ideal family life", how his age should be taken into consideration, how he has admitted his guilt etc. You could hear the press constantly writing in their notepads and tweeting. Lord Matthews spoke about how the awful the crime was and how he didn't want to go into the specific details of it. He then spoke about the psychologist report of Dr Macpherson. Which the Dr himself apparently said was "very pessimistic", indicating that Aaron fit a lot of the criteria for the psychopathy checklist, that he was sexually violent, that he showed no empathy or remorse. The Judge then went away to deliberate, Aaron turned to leave and he glanced at me for a split second, we made brief eye-contact as I was pretty much one of the first people he would see as he turned to leave. It was really weird honestly. Seeing him in person - and also all of Alesha's family - was odd. It felt surreal after following the trial for so long. I knew they were real people obviously but to actually see them in person was a different matter. It was about 10:50am or thereafter I think, when we left the courtroom for the first time.

We all waited outside again and it was quite nerve-wracking. I saw Toni over at the water-cooler speaking to a few people. I think she was trying to smile and act normal but it must have been really hard for her. The family were taken into rooms again. We were recalled fairly quickly. We entered back into the courtroom same as before - family, press, public. That was when the livestream sentencing began which I'm sure you all saw. Judge Matthews went through everything that I'm sure you all heard, the worst part for me like I said before was when he spoke about Alesha and said that she asked Aaron who he was and he said "A friend of your dads" and that he was going to "take her home". He gave her his hoodie because she was cold and honestly that nearly made me cry. People in the room were visibly upset, it was horrible to listen to. The other things we heard about him trying not to laugh during his trial, about him having fantasies of rape, about how he abducted her were just disgusting. It felt horrible being in that room so I don't know how it must have felt for her family. Toni started sobbing and I saw Rab comfort her but then she ran out of the courtroom. Judge Matthews stopped speaking for a brief moment while it happened and everyone in the courtroom was obviously a bit distressed except Aaron. He didn't even seem to flinch. He appeared emotionless and cold throughout the entire thing. He barely moved except a couple of times to run his fingers through his hair or when he pursed his lips once. The only time I saw emotion from him was when Lord Matthews sentenced him to 27 years and Georgina started shouting at him, he was being led out of the courtroom and he smiled at her. I was literally a foot or so away from him and saw it right through the glass partition and it was horrifying. He seemed to be revelling in her sadness. I don't think I've seen someone in real life so callous and so lacking in empathy. After that, it certainly confirmed to me that he was an unabashed psychopath and I felt sick.

Everyone was pretty speechless after that, the room was quiet. We were all led out and a lot of people were visibly upset. I saw Georgina being led into a room by a police officer, I think she was trying to help her and calm her down. I waited a little bit until the crowd dispersed then I left. The media were totally focused on the door. The cameras were trained, waiting for the family to come out. I know it's their job but they really are like vultures some times.

So yeah that was pretty much my summary. It was a heartbreaking day honestly and one I don't think I'll forget in a long time. My heart really goes out to her family. I'm sure I've forgotten some things or details but that's what I remember to the best of my knowledge. If you have any questions feel free to message me! And thank you very much for all the support.

At least some form of justice has been done, even if it's not the way everyone would have wanted. He'll be behind bars for a very long time, if not the rest of his life. It still saddens me to know that, that beautiful little girl will never get to grow up. Rest in peace Alesha.

Oh. Thank you dear person for bearing witness for Alesha.

Made me cry hearing her family sob and Alesha's mom's screams of anguish. It's unfathomable. I can't imagine being there.

 

[Keeneye]

And ofcourse he’s a psychopath!