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

[Cappuccino]

I'm so sorry to hear that charlotte123456
It certainly does make you wonder. They're almost like chameleons who blend and change according to their demands. I've only read a bit and it's very confusing. Watching some of AC's previous social media posts and he comes across as very understanding and sympathetic in his replies.
I can understand that they have no empathy but what triggers a killing ?

Probably nothing that makes sense to you or me. He couldn't get hold of any drugs to get high so decided to kill for a thrill instead, something along that lines I suppose.

Its a choice as other posters have said. A thoroughly selfish choice to do something terrible for the most trivial and despicable of reasons, a normal person isn't going to understand it.

 

[Kasmeer]

Going to take me all afternoon to catch up on this thread! I'm happy with the sentence though, given his age and the kind of sentences we often see for adult offenders, that's about as strong as we could've hoped for. Hopefully even after the 27 years is up, he won't be considered for parole for a good long while (unless, I suppose, a genuine reformation could be actually possible... I'm sceptical though). I've long wished that sentencing guidelines could be increased a bit, as 27 years really isn't much for killing a young girl that had 60, 70, even 80+ years ahead of her, seems the current sentencing doesn't take into account longer lifespans these days. However, with what the judge had to work with, I'm sure that was the best he could do and it's good to see such a severe sentence.

Hope Alesha's family can manage to find some peace now this is all over.

 

[Edinlass]

Absolutely. In my experience, it’s a choice. It has also made me a much better parent. I’m always one step ahead in terms of protecting my children.

Not enough to be abused, but to then have your abuser protected because your parents don’t want “trouble in the family”...beggars belief! My sister knew what he had done to her little sister and still went out drinking and partying with him!?? We are a normal, middle class family (to the outside) by the way!

I do tend to have trouble socially though because I like to call a spade a spade. I hate lies, even white lies, and call people out all the time. Fake politeness gets on my nerves.

Exactly, families covering up ‘incidents’ actually plays into the abusers hands. And I bet it does make you a very self aware parent, you are an inspiration to many to come out and speak.

 

[TaylorCallum]

I'm so sorry to hear that charlotte123456
It certainly does make you wonder. They're almost like chameleons who blend and change according to their demands. I've only read a bit and it's very confusing. Watching some of AC's previous social media posts and he comes across as very understanding and sympathetic in his replies.
I can understand that they have no empathy but what triggers a killing ?

I thought this too regarding his replies. I know you can say anything on social media and basically adopt a completely different persona, but he came across as fairly polite and a nice person online compared to what you would usually find. It baffles me the difference between that and the person he was in real life. Scary.

 

[Kiranerys]

Absolutely. In my experience, it’s a choice. It has also made me a much better parent. I’m always one step ahead in terms of protecting my children.

Not enough to be abused, but to then have your abuser protected because your parents don’t want “trouble in the family”...beggars belief! My sister knew what he had done to her little sister and still went out drinking and partying with him!?? We are a normal, middle class family (to the outside) by the way!

I do tend to have trouble socially though because I like to call a spade a spade. I hate lies, even white lies, and call people out all the time. Fake politeness gets on my nerves.

This is horrible Charlotte,and to be betrayed by your immediate family when you should have been protected is awful.
Do you think he would hurt his own or any other children now?,I'm not sure I could have that on my conscience if I were your parents in all honesty.

 

[Sleuthdolf]

I'm so sorry to hear that charlotte123456
It certainly does make you wonder. They're almost like chameleons who blend and change according to their demands. I've only read a bit and it's very confusing. Watching some of AC's previous social media posts and he comes across as very understanding and sympathetic in his replies.
I can understand that they have no empathy but what triggers a killing ?

A snippet I found from an article - psychopathy is a psychological condition based on well-established diagnostic criteria, including superficial charm, conning, and manipulative behavior, lack of empathy and remorse, and a willingness to take risks.

I change my mind on this . He's got to be a psychopath.

Not all psychopaths are killers and not all killers are psychopaths.

 

[Edinlass]

I think most people online portray a different picture to what they actaully are. I do believe his parents knew something wasn’t quite right about him from early on, we don’t actually know they could have raised there concerns with doctors and not been given much help. I feel for his mum and dad and sister also tbh, how do you even begin to try and understand the whys.

 

[TaylorCallum]

I have my doubts that Georgina will want to visit him in prison now, honestly. It will do her no good. I hope she doesn't. She's been through enough already and the simple answer is he stole her little girl's life simply because he wanted to. He derived pleasure from killing her and is still deriving pleasure from the suffering of her family. It's devastating.

 

[Mrs Marple]

Shed a few tears for little angel Alesha. Such a senseless waste.

I have a beautiful bubbly smiley 6 year old blond daughter. I think Georgina keeps going because she has another child she needs to keep going for; she does it because she has to. Now this is over and everyone moves on with their lives, the struggle will continue, maybe even more so, as she continues to re-live what's happened, why, the what ifs.

 

[Edinlass]

I have my doubts that Georgina will want to visit him in prison now, honestly. It will do her no good. I hope she doesn't. She's been through enough already and the simple answer is he stole her little girl's life simply because he wanted to. He derived pleasure from killing her and is still deriving pleasure from the suffering of her family. It's devastating.

Yeah I hope she doesn’t either. He will 100% toy with her and actually cause her more mental torture as I think he will give her ALL the details candidly reeling in her emotions. The fact he can smile at her shows it.

 

[mrazda71]

You are so brave to speak about it, I admire you. And it’s victims like yourself that I feel for when people say ‘oh, maybe the abuse led him here’ you seem like a pretty well rounded individual and you would agree that no amount of abuse makes a monster. It’s man-made, it’s a choice.

All our sympathies go to victims of abuse.

<modsnipped> A psychopath doesn't 'choose' to be a psychopath.

 

[Edinlass]

I actually feel so much pain for Genie also hearing today that Alesha spoke to him and they had a conversation. I think this will be hard to get over..

 

[wtiger]

The checklist for psycopathy is still the "hare" checklist, developed many years ago now.

The problem with the checklist is that it requires a degree of knowledge of the person being assessed.

Unfortunately due to costs,badly designed criminal justice pathways and a need for standardization...this element is nearly always neglected.

A sorry coincidence is that one of the markers on the very test is "superficial charm" ....this would be where the psychopath actually deduces what it is that he SHOULD present to an assessor and very convincingly plays the act of remorse or empathy or whatever other emotion he deems the situation to require!

And to an assessor who met him last week it is not always easy to spot the real contrite offender from the dangerous psychopath

Another worrying factor is that in society the higher up the ladder of status and achievement one looks, the higher and higher the scores would be on "hare"

An effective leader needs to display some elements of psycopathy at times!

Madness/genius....these are NOT opposites but very very close bedfellows

 

[Ardoch]

Probably nothing that makes sense to you or me. He couldn't get hold of any drugs to get high so decided to kill for a thrill instead, something along that lines I suppose.

Its a choice as other posters have said. A thoroughly selfish choice to do something terrible for the most trivial and despicable of reasons, a normal person isn't going to understand it.

And yet you feel a compulsion to try to understand.
Maybe because AC in particular has been caught at a young age?
I always say that it would be easy in these circumstances if we could say they were aliens from another planet but that's too easy; it's the human behavioural aspect that's complicated.

 

[Missmaam]

Law isn’t all based on legislation and statute. A lot of criminal law in Scotland is based on precedent - from a law student

 

[Kikixxxx]

I thought this too regarding his replies. I know you can say anything on social media and basically adopt a completely different persona, but he came across as fairly polite and a nice person online compared to what you would usually find. It baffles me the difference between that and the person he was in real life. Scary.

Oh I’ve not read any of his social media posts, what kinda stuff did he say?

 

[charlotte123456]

This is horrible Charlotte,and to be betrayed by your immediate family when you should have been protected is awful.
Do you think he would hurt his own or any other children now?,I'm not sure I could have that on my conscience if I were your parents in all honesty.

I’ve laid that very thought at my mother’s feet, but she just pearl clutches and says “yes, we dealt with it badly”. My parents are both very weak, unfortunately.

It’s horrible that it’s actually on MY conscience re his children, but I can’t bring myself to drag it all through court now I have children of my own - and I know that sounds selfish. Abuse also leaves the abused conflicted.

He is a very greedy man who has married a very greedy woman. He drinks to excess and to the outside world they choose to portray this perfect middle class existence. Certain family members (not my immediate family) have moved close to him. Perhaps they are keeping an eye on his children. I have no idea why he was sent away all those years ago when he was just a young teenager because my parents didn’t hold him accountable and the truth was concealed.

Smacks of AC’s mother and father imo.

 

[mrazda71]

I have my doubts that Georgina will want to visit him in prison now, honestly. It will do her no good. I hope she doesn't. She's been through enough already and the simple answer is he stole her little girl's life simply because he wanted to. He derived pleasure from killing her and is still deriving pleasure from the suffering of her family. It's devastating.

I agree ... if she wanted to previously, to ask why then, I think that's probably been answered now and I think to sit in front of him now would perhaps do her more harm than good! He would either just continue as he has, smirking, laughing, enjoying the pain he's inflicting (most likely scenario IMO) or he'd feign remorse ... that's if he was even brave enough to agree to her visit which I think is doubtful.

 

[Joolz1975]

He's one of the UK's most renowned criminologists. A few weeks ago he said that he didn't have enough evidence to suggest that Aaron was a psychopath or that he would become a serial killer. He hadn't studied the case in depth though or met Aaron so his opinion may have changed.

EDIT: I think he might have been wrong on this one though.

He's been wrong on a few.

I used to follow his work quite closely but seen him on quite a few shows and he's come across not so well IMO especially when he gives his opinion on cases he hasn't studied in depth or even met the accused.

 

[Kiranerys]

I’ve laid that very thought at my mother’s feet, but she just pearl clutches and says “yes, we dealt with it badly”. My parents are both very weak, unfortunately.

It’s horrible that it’s actually on MY conscience re his children, but I can’t bring myself to drag it all through court now I have children of my own - and I know that sounds selfish. Abuse also leaves the abuser conflicted.

He is a very greedy man who has married a very greedy woman. He drinks to excess and to the outside world they choose to portray this perfect middle class existence. Certain family members (not my immediate family) have moved close to him. Perhaps they are keeping an eye on his children. I have no idea why he was sent away all those years ago when he was just a young teenager because my parents didn’t hold him accountable and the truth was concealed.

Smacks of AC’s mother and father imo.

It is completely understandable that you can't face it,especially as you did speak up(so brave in itself) and the adults who should've supported you failed you instead. What more could you do?,I sincerely hope my post didn't infer that your conscience shouldn't be clear,if so I apologise as that was absolutely not my intention.