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

[stephaniejanes]

I did think autism when I first viewed his videos

Please, please, please don't start throwing around he has autism.
Firstly, autism is a developmental condition - not a mental health condition.
Additionally I don't think anyone is qualified to make an autism diagnosis through two short videos... just wait for post trial info to be released. Autism is not linked to violent behaviour like this either so don't draw links where none exist.

 

[wtiger]

If he is found guilty does that mean he would end up in a hospital rather than a prison

No..would need to have a pretty serious mental illness to avoid prison.
Prisons are jam packed with autistic, schizophrenic, psychotic and otherwise variously mentally ill prisoners.

Need to be very bad for a hospital order.....Hence the Yorkshire Rippers story about "being on a mission from god" and all the other outlandish stuff he produced at trial....it did eventually work for him!

 

[truthseeker1975]

I did think autism when I first viewed his videos

If its a guilty verdict which so far it looks like it will be, it wont be over then the defence will look at doing there best for him, whilst we are all following todays and tomorrows court updates, they are probably looking at a sentence date and how to deal with it, looking at it from a legal view

 

[truthseeker1975]

Please, please, please don't start throwing around he has autism.
Firstly, autism is a developmental condition - not a mental health condition.
Additionally I don't think anyone is qualified to make an autism diagnosis through two short videos... just wait for post trial info to be released. Autism is not linked to violent behaviour like this either so don't draw links where none exist.

What if he has already been diagnosed with such a condition, it shall all come out if he has, how would such a condition affect his sentence

 

[AM12]

Off topic but I think the mums cctv evidence is so crucial. Obviously we haven’t heard the dna evidence yet but if it wasn’t for his mum viewing the cctv and calling the police, would he have ever been a suspect or questioned? Sometimes if a killer isn’t caught they will do random dna tests to men in the area but I doubt that they would include 16 year old and under in that. It makes you wonder doesn’t it? Imagine she had deleted it or something. Would we be where we are today if she had?

Possible not It was critical in initial investigation and I doubt that a 16 year old with no criminal record that I know of would be a suspect for such a serious crime.

 

[404_notfound]

I did think autism when I first viewed his videos

I see nothing in the videos to suggest that (two of my children have autism, one mild, one severe).

 

[AM12]

If he isn't found guilty in court, given his photo and name are on the internet and youtube etc already, do you think he would end up changing his name to attempt to stay anonymous? Just wondering..

Possible given the seriousness of crime and possible repercussions. If the Police see it as a risk for him but remember when Bulger killers were on trial . Literally people were attempting to attack the van on way to court .
Such a public outcry but I don't see that so much here but certainly he would be at risk if left to integrate into the public

 

[Detective_dog]

What if he has already been diagnosed with such a condition, it shall all come out if he has, how would such a condition affect his sentence

I think it very unlikely. I would assume that if a defendant was already diagnosed other measures would be put in place during trial too.

 

[404_notfound]

What if he has already been diagnosed with such a condition, it shall all come out if he has, how would such a condition affect his sentence

It would not affect the sentence. It might affect where he serves it. Every prisoner has to have their health needs, including mental health needs, met, that is not unique to autistic individuals. If he has been deemed to have sufficient understanding to be tried as he currently is being, he will be sentenced in line with that presumed capacity, in terms of the sentence length. If his needs are not able to be met at a given facility he won't be placed there but bear in mind that Scotland doesn't have a lot of options for YO found guilty of very serious crimes. Bear in mind also that the prison population is disproportionately affected by developmental conditions as compared to the general population and the prison service is very familiar with them.

There have sadly been cases where very severely autistic people or people with other cognitive impairments have committed violent crimes. They don't go to trial, because the individual is not capable of being held culpable. If he's in court they've already decided he has the capacity to be there.

 

[truthseeker1975]

I see nothing in the videos to suggest that (two of my children have autism, one mild, one severe).

I was not talking about his videos or anything against any one with any type of condition, i was asking if he had a diagnosed mental health issue how it would affect his sentence if found guilty, no disrespect to you 404_notfound

 

[angeldust]

What if he has already been diagnosed with such a condition, it shall all come out if he has, how would such a condition affect his sentence

Would have nothing to with it. autism wouldn’t be an excuse. Autistic people are no more likely to commit a crime than anyone else if fact probably less likely. My Daughter has autism

 

[404_notfound]

I was not talking about his videos or anything against any one with any type of condition, i was asking if he had a diagnosed mental health issue how it would affect his sentence if found guilty, no disrespect to you 404_notfound

No worries truthseeker1975, i wasn't offended, i just genuinely meant that i don't see anything to suggest it. Both mine go to specialist school settings, so i must know 50 kids with ASD between ages 3 and 18 by now, and am pretty familiar with it

 

[angeldust]

Not sure where it says two bedroom but it was two floors in upper flat (1st floor and roof floor )and ground floor is seperate holiday flat.

Thanks I think my confusion has been cleared up by the comment alesha slept in the living room. I must have read two bed flat somewhere

 

[AM12]

So based on history of RM selling camnabis to the accused, it is possible during one of those deals his palm print ended up there?

Yes thats possible as its not possible to date the print

 

[AM12]

Expected more fingerprints to be found in and around the house.

Yes would have expected on a break and entry or entry in this case unless wearing gloves or pulling sleeves over hands if the accused did abduct from flat.

 

[404_notfound]

Yes thats possible as its not possible to date the print

The location is very odd though. It is the rail of a stairlift, they are typically set just at the top of the skirting board. So...he went to buy drugs and crawled up the stairs?

 

[angeldust]

Yes thats possible as its not possible to date the print

Thinking about that palm print If we’re to believe RM he hadn’t sold anything to him for a while and also said he done it at the shelter. Obviously because his parents wouldn’t be happy with groups of youngsters at the door. So
It’s also reasonable to assume that it must have been recent as people going up n down the stairs who actually live there would have probably wiped away his print with daily use Or not just a thought

 

[AM12]

They more damning evidence will come last

Yes possible building to a crescendo of evidence . His defence of TM killing Alesha is absurd if she has an alibi for the evening as sharing a room with Macphail and even the tone of the following mornings call from TM to accused suggests that they did not meet the night before hence the reason to ask him why he had called

 

[octagonsunrise]

Given that the evidence that has been publically reported to date has mostly been circumstantial (or at least far from conclusive), i have found myself going over everything looking for any smaller bits of information regarding the case which seem to pop out as being more significant than first thought.

One specific area that stands out to me is the actions of the accused's mother. I think the point that was previously made with regards to her contacting the police regarding her own CCTV footage is significant. On top of this, she also asked the accused no less than twice if he 'knew anything' about Alesha's disappearance (strange in itself, unless the mother had a specific reason or had experienced something previously to think to ask). Finally, she raised the DNA discussion with the accused but significantly had both his Uncle and a friend present (clearly a potential indicator of an unpredictable or perhaps aggressive response in a one-on-one situation).

In my opinion if you look at these specific details collectively, you are looking at the conscientious actions of a woman who may well have significant suspicions about her own son.

 

[Truthseeker777]

The location is very odd though. It is the rail of a stairlift, they are typically set just at the top of the skirting board. So...he went to buy drugs and crawled up the stairs?

Could have been sitting on the stair waiting for a deal and left the print when he was getting up from a seated position (?)