UK - Alesha MacPhail, 6, raped & murdered, Ardbeg, Isle of Bute, Scotland, 2 Jul 2018 -teen arrested

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies
Toni tells the court she got out of bed to go to the toilet before entering Alesha’s bedroom and switching off the Peppa Pig DVD. Toni breaks down in the witness box as she recalls seeing Alesha sleeping. Toni says she fully closed Alesha’s bedroom door.

Fraser Knight‏ @Fraser_Knight
Toni starts crying as she recalls seeing Alesha sleeping the night before she went missing, when she went into her room to turn off the Peppa Pig DVD she had been watching.

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky
Toni Louise McLachlan tells court the night Alesha went missing she had gone into Alesha’s room to switch off Peppa Pig DVD. Alesha was asleep

 

[Taskforce88]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith
Trial of 16 yr-old male accused of murdering 6 yr-old Alesha MacPhail continues today in Glasgow - he denies charges. Alesha’s father’s girlfriend now giving evidence. Says she remembers going into Alesha’s bedroom to switch off a DVD during the night she went missing. @itvnews

Interesting. Having an on-off relationship but taking quite an interest in the partner's child? "Loved her to pieces" despite not being committed to the father?

 

[HayLouise]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith
She says her phone was on silent during the night but she wakened to notice there was one missed call from the 16 year-old accused of murdering Alesha. She says she only saw this after being wakened by Alesha’s grandparents who were now looking for the missing girl. @itvnews

bbm

 

[HayLouise]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky

Toni Louise McLachlan asked if aware of attempts the morning after of attempts by accused to contact her. Yes, she says, one missed call

 

[Alyce]

Peter A Smith‏Verified account @PeterAdamSmith
She says her phone was on silent during the night but she wakened to notice there was one missed call from the 16 year-old accused of murdering Alesha. She says she only saw this after being wakened by Alesha’s grandparents who were now looking for the missing girl. @itvnews

bbm

Ah, that answers the question as to why TM called the accused so early that morning

 

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies
Toni says she slept throughout the night. She says she “couldn’t believe it. Rothesay is a safe place” when recalling moment she realised she was missing. She and boyfriend checked sheds, back gardens and her mum’s house nearby.

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies
Toni Louise McLachlan tells court when she woke up on the morning of Alesha’s disappearance she had a missed call on Facebook from the accused. Toni thought it was “a bit strange at first”

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky
Toni Louise McLachlan tells court she tried to phone back to see what he wanted. She thought it was a bit strange at first.

 

[HayLouise]

Fraser Knight‏ @Fraser_Knight
“I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think anything bad had happened. I know Rothesay as a safe place - I have been there all my life.” Toni says they searched back gardens and sheds after realising Alesha was missing.

 

[Taskforce88]

I wonder if the accused had blamed the partner before he put that forward as his defence when the trial began? When he was first questioned by police. I suppose we will not find out?

 

[HayLouise]

Fraser Knight‏ @Fraser_Knight
Evidence shows Toni missed a call, from the boy accused of killing Alesha, at 01:47 on the morning she went missing. Toni tried to call him back while out looking for the 6 y/o at 06:29. She sent him a Facebook message saying “Want to keep an eye out for rabs wee girl please x”

bbm

 

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies
Toni tells court she and Robert MacPhail “used to sell weed” to the accused.

 

[HayLouise]

10:13KEY EVENT
Recap of day two
During the second day of the trial on Tuesday, a jury at the High Court in Glasgow heard how the father of Alesha MacPhail watched *advertiser censored* in his bedroom after tucking his daughter into bed with a Peppa Pig DVD.

Robert MacPhail described how he heard Alesha, six, get out of bed in the night before he put her back to bed and told her he’d see her in the morning.

He also told the court he had sold drugs to the boy accused of murdering the six-year-old on the Isle of Bute.

During proceedings, Alesha’s family walked out as images of her body were shown to a jury.

Images were shown to the court showing the young girl’s naked body, which was found in the grounds of the former Kyles Hydropathic Hotel at Port Bannatyne.

A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death as “pressure to neck and face”.

Alesha’s family left the courtroom this morning as the images were shown.

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance

 

[HayLouise]

10:39
Family told of frantic search to find Alesha
On Tuesday, the family of murdered Alesha MacPhail told a trial of the frantic search for the six-year-old when they realised she was missing from her bed.

Schoolgirl Alesha was spending the start of her summer break with her father and grandparents in the house they shared on the Isle of Bute when her body was found in woodland on July 2 last year.

The court heard there was “pandemonium” on July 2 when it emerged Alesha was not in the attic flat in Rothesay.

Alesha’s father Robert MacPhail and his partner Toni McLachlan were woken by his parents who told him she was not in her bed and they all searched under beds and in cupboards before taking the hunt outside to her favourite places, including the park.

Alesha’s grandfather Calum MacPhail, 49, told the court the family hit the streets looking for Alesha.

A Facebook appeal by Alesha’s gran led to locals joining the hunt.

Robert then became aware of an ambulance in the area, with police also on the scene.

The family begged for information before being told to go to the local police station.

An emotional Calum then recalled: “We were put into a room. Five minutes later, a police officer said, ‘We have found her,’ but that she had passed.”

Alesha MacPhail was aged six when she died (Image: Daily Record)

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance

 

[HayLouise]

10:43KEY EVENT
Toni-Louise McLachlan gives evidence behind a screen

Toni-Louise McLachlan, the partner of Alesha’s father Robert MacPhail, is giving evidence behind a screen at the High Court in Glasgow.

The accused – who legally cannot be named because he is under 18 – denies abducting, raping and murdering Alesha on July 2 last year.

He has lodged a special defence blaming Robert’s partner Toni Louise McLachlan.

Ms McLachlan told the court she and Mr MacPhail had an ‘on-off relationship’.

When asked about the night before Alesha went missing, she said: “I loved her to pieces. I went through and gave her a kiss and a cuddle before she went to sleep”.

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance

 

[Taskforce88]

There is a photo online (i won't link or post it) of the partner with Alesha. It's on a blog covering the trial.

I suppose calling someone via Facebook means you don't know them well enough to have their number?

 

[HayLouise]

10:52KEY EVENT
Toni McLachlan had 'missed call from the accused' on morning of Alesha's disappearance
Ms McLachlan said she woke up to a missed call on Facebook from the accused.

She says she “thought it was a bit weird at first”.

She says he later messaged her saying he hadn’t meant to contact her.

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance

 

[HayLouise]

10:58
Alesha MacPhail's mum is comforted outside court

Alesha MacPhail’s mum was comforted outside court ahead of the second day of evidence at her daughter’s murder trial.

Georgina Lochrane, 23, was surrounded by family members before attending the third day of proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow today.

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance

(Video at link)

 

[HayLouise]

11:00

Ms McLachlan says Alesha's dad 'used to sell weed to the accused'

Ms McLachlan told the court that Alesha’s father, Robert MacPhail, “used to sell weed to the accused”.

Yesterday,Mr MacPhail told the court he had done ‘deals’ with the 16-year-old.

Alesha’s father identified him in the courtroom and told the jury: “I used to sell him cannabis.”

Mr MacPhail, who is unemployed, said he had last sold him the drug a few months before Alesha’s murder.

He said he stopped after the teenager’s mother told his partner, Toni McLachlan, to stop.

The court heard the deals usually took place at a bus shelter across from his own mother’s house in Ardbeg Road, where he then lived along with Ms McLachlan, 18.

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance

 

[HayLouise]

James Matthews‏Verified account @jamesmatthewsky

Toni Louise McLachlan told she became aware accused was blaming her for Alesha’s murder on Monday. Asked if she had anything to do with it, she answers “No.” asked if she loved Alesha, she says “to bits”

bbm

 

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies

Toni is asked “did you have anything to do with the Murder of Alesha MacPhail” She replies “no. She is asked “Did you love Alesha?” She replies “To bits”

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies

Toni says she only found out on Monday the accused is blaming her for the murder.

Fraser Knight‏ @Fraser_Knight

The crown asks Toni-Louise McLachlan, the girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail’s dad: “Did you have anything to do with the murder of Alesha MacPhail?” - “No.” “Did you love Alesha MacPhail?” - “To bits.” The boy accused of the 6 y/o’s rape & murder is blaming her

 

[HayLouise]

11:02KEY EVENT

Toni McLachlan denies murdering Alesha MacPhail

The crown asks Toni-Louise McLachlan, the girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail’s dad: “Did you have anything to do with the murder of Alesha MacPhail?”

She replied: “No.”

She is asked: “Did you love Alesha MacPhail?”

She replied: “To bits.”

Girlfriend of Alesha MacPhail's dad sobs giving evidence in emotional appearance