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

[Greyhome]

Could it be that he did intend to go out to buy drugs, couldn't get an answer... Thought he might see if he could steal them and then came across Alesha as she slept walked? Not sure if she could get herself out of house but wondering if he stumbled across her rather than go looking for her?

I had thought of that also that he had went to buy drugs

 

[bfin1995]

On a sidenote, does anyone have information about the party granddad took his granddaughter to on the mainland?

The six-year-old, from Coatbridge , had gone to Bute to stay with dad Rab, 26, a few days earlier but her granddad took her back to her hometown on Sunday, July 1, for a friend’s party.

The youngster had been “devastated” after arriving to realise it was the wrong day but her tears were short-lived when she was asked to join in another party with a friend. Daily Record

 

[TaylorCallum]

I don't mean to drag TM back into it because she isn't on trial and has been through a lot, but her saying that she saw Alesha in bed at approximately 2am is very strange to me. If Aaron was seen on CCTV at 2:26am, that gives him around 25 minutes or less to enter the house, kidnap Alesha and get to the shore. If TM fell back asleep within that timeframe it must be a light sleep, less than half an hour. I just don't know how she didn't hear anything?

 

[Mercsw]

This article seems to imply that the events that Charles and William were involved in in Rothesay occured in late 90'saround 1997 (when Allison Garrigle was murder when due to give evidence against them) so doesn't match with the timeline to fit with anything happening to AC. Although I'm aware people know things that i don't though.

McGarrigle duo's depraved history

I’ve read the article and didn’t know the case. If you read it again, they are back and forth to the area via Spain. If I have read it correctly then they were there in late 00’s too.

Not sure if it’s related but all I’ve heard is this place was a perfect paradise, yet now we have arguably worse stuff going on for decades, drugs rampant and strange relationships.

 

[holdencauliflower]

Didn’t quite expect it to be that quick ! But yes glad he’s been named and yes I had the right guy. Have they released his address I had a couple of ideas but after hearing the court evidence I new that wasn’t the address I had thought . It’s just bugging me now, as I thought I had it all mapped out .
After looking at satellite images I picked out another 2 possible addresses. But still not sure

I worked it out from the Youtube videos! Took a while but it was during the court case when they told us how long to walk between the different points. I'm 99.9% sure I've got the right one.

 

[Ruben71]

Is that his then, the double fronted house opposite the blue car, opposite that lane .. with a lane next door too?

Yeh...I actually sussed it out during the trial after seeing his trampoline video and I paused where you could see the back of his house. I then went on street view and there's a brief angle you can get going up the lane where you can see the back of the house and the way the drainpipes are angled which matched with the trampoline video.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I don't mean to drag TM back into it because she isn't on trial and has been through a lot, but her saying that she saw Alesha in bed at approximately 2am is very strange to me. If Aaron was seen on CCTV at 2:26am, that gives him around 25 minutes or less to enter the house, kidnap Alesha and get to the shore. If TM fell back asleep within that timeframe it must be a light sleep, less than half an hour. I just don't know how she didn't hear anything?

I wouldnt put too much on that 2am info. It wasnt in court was it? Prob just an error passed to the mum
Edit - or misreported

 

[Yenriac]

"Charles O'Neill and William Lauchlan are not unknown in the Scottish courts and were once described by a judge as "evil, determined and manipulative". They are not only killers, but predatory paedophiles who have convictions dating back 12 years. ... In Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, the pair are known to have babysat for mothers who were heavy drinkers, allowing them access to their sons."

McGarrigle duo's depraved history - BBC 2010

This is too close to home. Very strange.

I read about this earlier.

 

[Missmaam]

Yeh...I actually sussed it out during the trial after seeing his trampoline video and I paused where you could see the back of his house. I then went on street view and there's a brief angle you can get going up the lane where you can see the back of the house and the way the drainpipes are angled which matched with the trampoline video.

That’s how I figured it out too.

 

[Gardenista]

I wouldnt put too much on that 2am info. It wasnt in court was it? Prob just an error passed to the mum
Edit - or misreported

Yup, because if it was the case, the defense would have made a HUGE deal about it.

 

[bfin1995]

I don't mean to drag TM back into it because she isn't on trial and has been through a lot, but her saying that she saw Alesha in bed at approximately 2am is very strange to me.

I've only heard 2 am quoted by Aaron's mum. She also said her son got home 'around 3 am' when it was actually 3:35 am, so I wouldn't put much stock in it.

 

[Mercsw]

The 2am is my doubt. It was actually the key bit in getting him as it was fed to the mum to check cctv at this time. So it is vital for building a case as it incriminates him. Nothing at the house does.

It’s also strange that two calls happened at this time between them too. Likewise a weird convo the next morning too that had little alarm to it despite the girl missing. Very strange.

Maybe I’m thinking too much but there are gaps and strangeness to it all.

 

[UKslueth2018]

The 2am is my doubt. It was actually the key bit in getting him as it was fed to the mum to check cctv at this time. So it is vital for building a case as it incriminates him. Nothing at the house does.

It’s also strange that two calls happened at this time between them too. Likewise a weird convo the next morning too that had little alarm to it despite the girl missing. Very strange.

Maybe I’m thinking too much but there are gaps and strangeness to it all.

I believe he called both R and T... If my memory serves me right he called R first then T..

 

[holdencauliflower]

I’ve got a feeling the little girl he tried to drown in a pool is his little sister .

I wonder if this ties in with the timeline of them moving to Bute then. Maybe they needed a 'fresh start' for him. If he was 7 or so it sounds roughly right timewise.

 

[Ruben71]

It's odd that AC's hand prints were on the chairrail in the stairwell but not in the flat. Do you think it's possible that he only though to pull his sleeve over his hands once he reached the door to their flat i.e the door at the top of the stairs?

 

[Eezer Goode]

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.

Hi Ciana,

Thanks for this. Yes the level of abuse aimed at those with differing opinions has been disproportionate imo. I too think there are people (on the island) who know more but are scared to speak out as they also know how retaliation works. I thought the neihbours were brave to take the stand and give evidence as they had already been told to mind their own business and obviously headed the warning. Yet posters on here ripped even their testimony apart (usually confusing theirs with the other witness in the car and vice versa). To be honest it made me think that a few posters on here had a vested interest in the case....if you know what i mean.

Yes, for sure, the mother of the poor girl deserves the utmost sympathy. How one continues with life after such an event is beyond me, it will haunt her every minute of the day no doubt.

The abuse will not stop me posting on here as we all know how the internet works and this case is very emotive to say the least. It's hard to judge someone via the internet, but i know i don't say things lightly and i'm certainly not contrary for the sake of it. I like to find the truth in things but once i realise i'm barking up the wrong tree i will gladly throw all of my suppositions out of the window. However, this case keeps throwing up more cause for doubt, even in the aftermath of a guilty verdict. All very strange indeed.

I look forward to sleuthing some more with you all in the future!

 

[Vevvie]

Is that his then, the double fronted house opposite the blue car, opposite that lane .. with a lane next door too?

Yes, that’s the house posted in the DM, the double fronted one.

 

[charlotte123456]

I wonder if this ties in with the timeline of them moving to Bute then. Maybe they needed a 'fresh start' for him. If he was 7 or so it sounds roughly right timewise.

I think it was around 2010.

 

[Taskforce88]

n/a

 

[404_notfound]

It's odd that AC's hand prints were on the chairrail in the stairwell but not in the flat. Do you think it's possible that he only though to pull his sleeve over his hands once he reached the door to their flat i.e the door at the top of the stairs?

Until he got to the top he had no way to know the key was in the door and thus no reason to conceal his hands?