UK - Alesha MacPhail, 6, raped & murdered, Ardbeg, Isle of Bute, Scotland, 2 Jul 2018 -*arrest* #4

[Alyce]

Lorna Gordon‏Verified account @bbclornag 1m1 minute ago




The defence attempted (and which failed) being one that tried to incriminate the 19 year-old teenage girlfriend of Alesha McPhail's father for the crimes.

 

[charlotte123456]

Oh no I totally understand that. I know there are certain bigoted people who couldn't wait for the chance to blame it on refugees. I agree with the anonymity ban being lifted, I'm just wondering what leaving angry messages on a Facebook profile of a person behind bars will accomplish. I've seen it done before and it just baffles me slightly because they won't see it.

I personally don’t think it’s about leaving angry messages...more about learning who this person is, who they are friends with, what school they went to, finding photos of them and then passing that info to as many people as possible so that they can potentially target anyone who is connected to the accused. Some people are so simple, they will think the guilty party has an active Facebook account and anyone who has remained friends with him on FB must be supporters of his crimes. Dense, like you say.

 

[Alyce]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky 27m27 minutes ago




QC arguing for lifting of ID restriction says that name is in public domain via Facebook, Twitter & via google. Says would be naive to assume co-inmates in Polmont Young Offenders Inst. won’t be aware of his ID or that he enjoys anonymity on Isle of Bute

 

[Alyce]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky 12s12 seconds ago




QC arguing to ID Alesha MacPhail’s killer refers to his blaming of Alesha’s dad’s partner. Says if not ID’d, killer would be able with impunity to accuse someone innocent, without that anonymity being enjoyed by the 18 year-old girl he tried to incriminate.

 

[Alyce]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky 1m1 minute ago

QC argues that demonstrates an incongruity which supports public interest argument behind naming the murderer

 

[Alyce]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith 18m18 minutes ago
The judge is hearing an argument that the 16 year-old is already widely identified on social media, well known in his community, and it is highly likely his identity is already known by other inmates in the Young Offenders Institution where he is being held. @itvnews

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith 4m4 minutes ago
Argument continues, the 16 year-old’s defence was to accuse an 18 year old woman. There’s little in age difference between her & him yet she enjoyed no statutory protection - she was named and had photograph published. He could do this, though, with impunity and anonymity.

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith
Continues: There’s a disparity when an 18 year-old who is wrongfully accused can be identified and yet the 16 year-old who accused her dishonestly cannot be identified. The law is meant to be there to protect those who are vulnerable.

 

[Ciana]

Hi all,

I posted in the early hours of the morning and Edinlass replied with some questions that, at the time , she seemed genuinely intrigued by what my response would be. It's all academic now but i'm willing to answer anything regarding my post if that's what people want. I'm saying this simply for closure as i would have replied had i caught up with the thread in time. Same goes for Ciana.

Thanks to beeseingyou for making some very good points and echoing many of my thoughts about the case, again i would have quoted and liked the posts had i read them in real time but it was good to see an alternative view expressed so eloquently throughout.

Personally, i feel a miscarriage of justice has occurred here (be it partially or completely) but the verdict is in and i guess we'll have to file this one under 'nothing to see here, let's move on' as happens all too often in high profile cases.

This case has been a real eye opener. How a young boy can commit such a crime and appear so normal before and directly after the event is baffling. He is so cunning and meticulous as to leave not a shred of evidence at the victims house or his house but so careless as to leave a complete mess of a crime scene. That doesn't make sense.

<modsnipped against TOS>

Hello, Eezer, yours is a good post and you make some well-thought out comments. I, too, had many doubts about the guilt of the now-prisoner in this dreadful case. I did take issue with the tone of many of the comments posted during the trial and found it appalling that you were name-called for voicing an alternate opinion. Yes, the DNA was overwhelming and I accept the verdict of the jury. They heard things which we did not. However, there remain so many unanswered questions in this case, some of which you have referred to above. I still believe that there are many aspects that have gone unanswered. I can't budge from the feeling that a certain individual could have helped solve this and for their own reasons did not come forward and provide information to the authorities. I am fully expecting to get shot down in flames for my opinion, and that is what it is; simply an opinion. I have no inside knowledge whatsoever. The person above all others who my heart goes out to is Georgina, that poor mother of Alesha. Alesha is out of her pain and terror now, but that soul is broken and has to live with this horror for the rest of her days. I hope that the abuse that you have experienced on this forum does not dissuade you from coming back here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion - the sole purpose of this site is to be on the side of the victim, and to hopefully discover and uncover important information that can be provided to the police (I am aware that in other cases, wonderful Sleuthers have done just that). Best wishes to all Sleuthers.

 

[Alyce]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith 13s14 seconds ago
Discussion now about why we have a law to protect identities of those under 18. Judge references protecting children who are convicted for doing a silly crime, and should not have their whole lives tarnished by being named and shamed publicly at their young age.

 

[Alyce]

Lorna Gordon‏Verified account @bbclornag

QC points out that the 16 year-old tries to impugn the character of a 19 year-old who can be identified quite properly by the media, and yet the dishonest accuser can enjoy statutory protection

 

[Alyce]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky 37s37 seconds ago
QC arguing media case to name Alesha MacPhail’s killer makes point that he will be named in any event on his 18th birthday, when he will be in the same place as he is now or similar type of institution

 

[DanceCard]

People are going to continue to name him if his name isn't officially released. I know his name and I live hundreds of miles away and didn't make any attempt to actually find it out!

 

[Deufin]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith 13s14 seconds ago
Discussion now about why we have a law to protect identities of those under 18. Judge references protecting children who are convicted for doing a silly crime, and should not have their whole lives tarnished by being named and shamed publicly at their young age.

That sounds like the Judge might well be considering naming him to me?

 

[Alyce]

That sounds like the Judge might well be considering naming him to me?

Yep. This is the same judge who set a precedent by giving the 37 years sentence in another trial. So I think he will be quite capable of doing the same here.

 

[Alyce]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky 2m2 minutes ago

QC says the page lead in our newspapers shouldn’t be Toni McLachlan ( who he blamed) or the bereaved but, in the public interest, it should be the name and picture of the (killer)

 

[wtiger]

Definitely moving towards naming here

 

[Criminalogy]

Yep. This is the same judge who set a precedent by giving the 37 years sentence in another trial. So I think he will be quite capable of doing the same here.

Was that the Lynda Spence trial?

 

[TaylorCallum]

Was that the Lynda Spence trial?

No, I think it was against Angus Sinclair. The World's End Murders.

 

[Taskforce88]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith 14h14 hours ago
Amidst the disturbing details of this murder, Alesha MacPhail’s family & the community on Bute are trying hard to refocus on remembering this little girl & the joy she brought in her short life. As her mum said, a 6 year-old who shone as a “beautiful, happy, smiley wee girl.”

 

[Alyce]

Was that the Lynda Spence trial?

Angus Sinclair - Taylor's post

 

[bos]

Agreed re the naming - compelling argument re naming and accusing Toni McLachlan with impunity and that the crime isn’t a “folly of youth” in this case