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

[Alyce]

I'd love to see the CCTV and see just how clear or unclear it is. You must be able to make out the build and maybe height of the shadowy figure by comparing it to any objects in the footage. If you can see what looks like legs hanging down then the outlines of the figures must be reasonably good.

I'm assuming TM and the accused might be a similar height. In a lot of cases the height of the figure alone would rule out the woman and while that wouldn't prove it was the accused, it would put a big hole in his special defence. Also while I've no doubt that TM could pick Alesha up, could she carry her all that way at speed like the shadowy figure is doing? The clean feet means she was carried all that way and not put down once, for me that makes his special defence even more unlikely.

They don't seem to have that one bit of evidence yet which makes you think "they've got him" (possibly tomorrow, DNA?) so maybe they could rubbish his special defence at least and show how it's made up fantasy.

For me it's the distance of that cctv which makes it very understandable that all they could view was a shadowy figure.
The two people who supplied the cctv also gave slightly different descriptions as to what they saw.
The first said a figure carrying something on his back
The second said a figure carrying something in front of him, with legs hanging down

 

[Yenriac]

Once the DNA evidence comes through we should be on more solid ground. Hopefully, Alesha's DNA was recovered from his bathroom, then the defence has no room for
manoeuvre.

Yeah. I'm hoping today's evidence rounds it up beyond doubt. If he did it then showered there must have beem something left behind in the bathroom.

 

[charlotte123456]

Yeah. I'm hoping today's evidence rounds it up beyond doubt. If he did it then showered there must have beem something left behind in the bathroom.

Yes, but given that it took the police 9 days to retrieve the knife block from the mother’s house, we just need to hope and pray that they checked for DNA evidence in the bathroom before the mother had chance to clean it or simply have so many showers/baths herself in the meantime that all traces were washed away. There was also a delay in arresting the boy (albeit only slight). This could have afforded him the opportunity to bleach the entire area before police arrested him.

 

[charlotte123456]

Hoping they have found his hair around the murder scene as well.

 

[Pooksthebear]

How long after he was arrested was it before the police and forensics searched his house?

Sorry just seen .. 9 days!! Why the heck did they wait 9 days?

 

[embro68]

Yeah. I'm hoping today's evidence rounds it up beyond doubt. If he did it then showered there must have beem something left behind in the bathroom.

If the police acted quickly enough - Why on earth did it take 9 days to seize the knives from the accuseds home. Or am I making assumptions it is possible they had done a search of his house when then arrested him and returned later for the knives ?
This case doesn't seem water tight IMO police Scotland have a lot to answer for if it falls apart. They should have a 100% fool proof case considering the accused has left enough evidence. But they some how seem to have messed that up!

 

[charlotte123456]

How long after he was arrested was it before the police and forensics searched his house?

Sorry just seen .. 9 days!! Why the heck did they wait 9 days?

Unless I’m incorrect on the 9 days...someone mentioned this up thread. I’ll look for a source...

 

[charlotte123456]

Unless I’m incorrect on the 9 days...someone mentioned this up thread. I’ll look for a source...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....alesha-mcphail-murder-trial-told-14014508.amp

Yep - NINE days later. 11th July.

 

[embro68]

Unless I’m incorrect on the 9 days...someone mentioned this up thread. I’ll look for a source...

Heart Scotland News

@HeartScotNews
·
23h

Replying to
@HeartScotNews
Detective Constable Graham McIlwraith tells the court he attended the house of the accused on the of 11th July 2018 to recover knives and a knife block. #HeartNews

 

[HayLouise]

Daily Mirror‏Verified account @DailyMirror

Alesha MacPhail trial updates as boy, 16, in court over murder of girl, 6 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/alesha-macphail-trial-live-bute-14018878 …

Daily Mirror on Twitter

 

[charlotte123456]

Not sure this has been mentioned but the news article states that there was ONE knife missing from the knife block. They were Jamie Oliver brand knives (quite specific then):

“Shown a photograph of a knife found on the shore opposite where Alesha had been staying with her father and grandparents, he said it "would appear to be the same design" as the Jamie Oliver brand knives found in the accused's house.”

I think this is very compelling.

 

[HayLouise]

09:33

KEY EVENT

Day six recap - 'Strong evidence' jogging bottom fibres found on girl's clothes

Glasgow High Court was told yesterday there was ‘strong evidence’ fibres from jogging bottoms found on Rothesay beach were on Alesha’s vest.

Sarah Jones, a forensic scientist from the Scottish Police Authority, was questioned about her report into the death of the schoolgirl.

In her evidence she said that another alternative was that both types of fibre discovered could have match “by chance”.

It was also revealed that fibres found on Alesha’s pants and shorts has been the result of “direct contact” between the jogging bottoms.

Under cross-examination Defence QC Brain McConnochie asked Sarah Jones if there was a change it could have been a “secondary transfer” of fibres.

She indicated it was by primary transfer.

She agreed that no fibres had been found on Alesha’s clothing from a black Nike hooded top also found on the shore.

Alesha MacPhail died on the Isle of Bute last year (Image: Internet Unknown)

Alesha MacPhail trial updates as boy, 16, in court over murder of girl, 6

 

[HayLouise]

09:36

'Shadowy figure' seen on CCTV

The murder trial was shown CCTV footage of a “shadowy” figure “carrying something” along a shoreline.

The court heard evidence from Detective Constable Lisa Whitelock, who was CCTV coordinator in the case.

She said footage appeared to show a “shadowy figure” moving along the shoreline in Rothesay, carrying a mystery object.

Jurors were told the figure “slows down and appears to be carrying something in front of them” in the footage.

They also heard that something appears to be “hanging down” at the front of the figure as it moves along the shorefront.

(Image: Facebook)
The accused teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies taking Alesha from the home her grandparents shared with her dad.

Alesha MacPhail trial updates as boy, 16, in court over murder of girl, 6

 

[Yenriac]

Yes, but given that it took the police 9 days to retrieve the knife block from the mother’s house, we just need to hope and pray that they checked for DNA evidence in the bathroom before the mother had chance to clean it or simply have so many showers/baths herself in the meantime that all traces were washed away. There was also a delay in arresting the boy (albeit only slight). This could have afforded him the opportunity to bleach the entire area before police arrested him.

This is part of the reason police use luminol. Normal household bleach doesn't get rid of all the blood protein. Luminol reacts with the protein to give a positive result. But like you say, 9 days to retrieve a knife really doesnt fill me with much confidence in anything else.

 

[Pooksthebear]

I wonder if they only went for that later but actually did a forensic search the day he was arrested?

 

[charlotte123456]

This is part of the reason police use luminol. Normal household bleach doesn't get rid of all the blood protein. Luminol reacts with the protein to give a positive result. But like you say, 9 days to retrieve a knife really doesnt fill me with much confidence in anything else.

I wonder what the effectiveness of luminol is following multiple baths and showers though?

 

[charlotte123456]

I wonder if they only went for that later but actually did a forensic search the day he was arrested?

Hopefully!

 

[Alyce]

Re the 9 days
The only evidence I have heard at the trial is that the knife block, with 4 knives, was taken from the supsect's house on July 11
I have never seen a report re the exact date the police searched his house - it could have happened very early on in the investigation - he was arrested on suspicion on July 4.
There was plenty of reporting re the search of the McPhail home and taking away the car/cars but none, as far as I recall, of searching his home. We did have pics of a search in the garden of * another property * but nothing was referenced as to who that particular property belonged to.
I think, even at that stage, the police were being careful not to identify him, because of the age, so any house search was probably kept under the radar and msm asked not to report on this.

 

[Yenriac]

I wonder what the effectiveness of luminol is following multiple baths and showers though?

The blood protein will degrade over time.

 

[HayLouise]

10:15

Accused's phone 'used to search how do police find DNA'

The court heard on Monday how a phone belonging to the accused teen had been used to search “How do police find DNA”.

Jurors were told the search was made the day after Alesha’s death.

Peter Benson, a cyber crime team leader with Police Scotland, told the court the search was made in the early hours of July 3.

He said the person using the phone had clicked on a site called “How stuff works, collecting DNA evidence.”

Alesha MacPhail trial updates as boy, 16, in court over murder of girl, 6