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

[Joolz1975]

They never will. I look at my eldest daughter who looks a spit of Alesha but is a year younger and it breaks my heart for the family. I feel sorry for the father how the media have portrayed him. Yes - he sells a bit of weed but does that really make him a bad person? I've known plenty of weed dealers who are decent people.

Since the start of the trial I have been paranoid about somebody breaking into my home. Last year or year before there was a case near to me where a guy broke in through the back door and murdered a mother and son while the father took his dog for a walk.

It can literally happen anywhere to anyone. Best we can do is be vigilant and not left any stone unturned.

My children are older now...eldest 23 and no longer at home. Youngest 13 but you never lose that fear of something happening to your child.

My house was broken into whilst I was in bed and two guys came into my room..Even though it was a number of years ago it has made me paranoid.

So I know exactly what you mean, I'm a light sleeper now and slightest little sound I'm up and out of bed checking everything is ok.

Totally paranoid when my daughter goes out with her friends too, it drives her mad as I'm checking on her all the time.

I don't think Aleshas dad selling weed makes him a despicable person, he will be beating himself up over what has happened for the rest of his life so I have nothing but empathy for him and the family. He looks haunted.

I really hope they get justice for Aleshas at the end of this. Surely a jury won't believe the rubbish the accused is coming out with.

 

[Taskforce88]

I only thought it was only a prosecution witness that has to turn up if cited in Scotland? I could be wrong but I just thought as the defence witness is not cited by the crown but by the defence team?

I was cited as a defence witness, two court officers came to my door and I had to sign the document. I could have not bothered going but the police would have taken me in. Unless I refused to sign? I'm not sure what would have happened if I had refused.

 

[Sleuthdolf]

My children are older now...eldest 23 and no longer at home. Youngest 13 but you never lose that fear of something happening to your child.

My house was broken into whilst I was in bed and two guys came into my room..Even though it was a number of years ago it has made me paranoid.

So I know exactly what you mean, I'm a light sleeper now and slightest little sound I'm up and out of bed checking everything is ok.

Totally paranoid when my daughter goes out with her friends too, it drives her mad as I'm checking on her all the time.

I don't think Aleshas dad selling weed makes him a despicable person, he will be beating himself up over what has happened for the rest of his life so I have nothing but empathy for him and the family. He looks haunted.

I really hope they get justice for Aleshas at the end of this. Surely a jury won't believe the rubbish the accused is coming out with.

Sorry to hear that. I can't imagine the terror.
I will be a total wreck every time my 3 girls leave the house when they reach a certain age.

Yes he is a broken man as I would be too.

 

[Bustia]

I was cited as a defence witness, two court officers came to my door and I had to sign the document. I could have not bothered going but the police would have taken me in.

Thanks for the clarification, I have been cited by both prosecution and defence and just received letters so seems it is probably different circumstances.

 

[Ruthbullock]

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Accused says he lied to police about meeting a different friend for cannabis that night because he presumed his mum could hear him. He didn’t want the story getting back to Robert MacPhail, who he says Toni told him was an abusive partner. “I didn’t want her getting hurt.


Is he sure ???? This is ridiculous I can’t cope

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There is a current charge against him for domestic violence against her. It was discussed when she was being questioned in court.

 

[Taskforce88]

Thanks for the clarification, I have been cited by both prosecution and defence and just received letters so seems it is probably different circumstances.

Well after I gave evidence to the police I was expecting a letter, but I was surprised when the court officers turned up to witness me signing the document.

 

[Tortoise]

It seems he did send the video of his body in the mirror with the caption about finding the guy who did it before anyone knew she'd been murdered -

He was asked about a video where he seemed to incriminate himself and said that no one even knew it was a murder when the video was taken.

He added: "It was all speculation."

Teen in Alesha MacPhail murder trial tells court Toni McLachlan killed child

 

[Deufin]

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There is a current charge against him for domestic violence against her. It was discussed when she was being questioned in court.

I thought it was just an accusation?

I believe she said that he’d never raised a hand to her or made her feel scared.

 

[Makershaker]

One thing still absolutely baffles me about this...

Accused downed a bottle of MD 20/20 and then drank Echo Falls wine, plus smoked weed that night.

I would be absolutely plastered with all that at his age, and anyone really drunk are usually very clumsy....

How the hell did he get in and out the house, plus lift and carry Alesha out with laying a single fingerprint anywhere, without placing an unsteady hand on a wall , knocking something over, switching a light on etc...and without either him or Alesha making a sound ?

 

[Yenriac]

One thing still absolutely baffles me about this...

Accused downed a bottle of MD 20/20 and then drank Echo Falls wine, plus smoked weed that night.

I would be absolutely plastered with all that at his age, and anyone really drunk are usually very clumsy....

How the hell did he get in and out the house, plus lift and carry Alesha out with laying a single fingerprint anywhere, without placing an unsteady hand on a wall , knocking something over, switching a light on etc...and without either him or Alesha making a sound ?

This is also baffling me.

 

[bfin1995]

How the hell did he get in and out the house, plus lift and carry Alesha out with laying a single fingerprint anywhere, without placing an unsteady hand on a wall , knocking something over, switching a light on etc...and without either him or Alesha making a sound ?

We may never know. If he had any sense of humanity left in him he'd tell her family so they could have some closure.

 

[Bluedaisy100]

In the US it would be unusual for an accused to testify. It's usually a sign of desperation because of a lack of alternatives for the defense. However, I don't know if that's true in Scotland. So it's kind of fascinating to see him try to fashion himself into a victim of all these terrible people around him, his mother, her friend, her friend's daughter, his friend's mistaken memory (that he testified to under oath) and on and on. It's the poor me defense. It's probably gotten him off in the past from other misdeeds. Most people don't like taking on such people and walk away. In a trial it's all about responsibility and accountability, no walking away. I can see that would appear unseemly to some, but it's really the nub of the matter. JMO

 

[charlotte123456]

One thing still absolutely baffles me about this...

Accused downed a bottle of MD 20/20 and then drank Echo Falls wine, plus smoked weed that night.

I would be absolutely plastered with all that at his age, and anyone really drunk are usually very clumsy....

How the hell did he get in and out the house, plus lift and carry Alesha out with laying a single fingerprint anywhere, without placing an unsteady hand on a wall , knocking something over, switching a light on etc...and without either him or Alesha making a sound ?

We are just taking his word for it that he consumed this amount. As far as I am aware, no witnesses have corroborated this?

 

[Taskforce88]

A 'domestic' can be simply shouting at each other, it doesn't mean physical violence. The laws in Scotland regarding domestic violence are very strict. A friend of mine went to court because his ex claimed he shouted at her in the street. She even tried to tell police it was all a misunderstanding but it went to trial anyway. Perhaps it's different now.

 

[Edinlass]

We are just taking his word for it that he consumed this amount. As far as I am aware, no witnesses have corroborated this?

His mother did, and said he was extremely drunk. The CCTV footage would have let the jury see just how ‘drunk’ he was though..

 

[Alyce]

One thing still absolutely baffles me about this...

Accused downed a bottle of MD 20/20 and then drank Echo Falls wine, plus smoked weed that night.

I would be absolutely plastered with all that at his age, and anyone really drunk are usually very clumsy....

How the hell did he get in and out the house, plus lift and carry Alesha out with laying a single fingerprint anywhere, without placing an unsteady hand on a wall , knocking something over, switching a light on etc...and without either him or Alesha making a sound ?

deleted because I see Edin has answered it - so his mother kept a check on what he was drinking all night

 

[404_notfound]

One thing still absolutely baffles me about this...

Accused downed a bottle of MD 20/20 and then drank Echo Falls wine, plus smoked weed that night.

I would be absolutely plastered with all that at his age, and anyone really drunk are usually very clumsy....

How the hell did he get in and out the house, plus lift and carry Alesha out with laying a single fingerprint anywhere, without placing an unsteady hand on a wall , knocking something over, switching a light on etc...and without either him or Alesha making a sound ?

We don't know what he'd drunk. We only know what he SAID he'd drunk, to his mum and to the police. We also don't know how often he drinks, I had a friend who started drinking at 13 and by 16 she could drink a quarter bottle of vodka down without any discernible effect whatsoever. His 14 sister was at his "party" and left with his friends so for all we know he could be a regular drinker of several years and not drunk despite having imbibed what he says he had.

Alesha had already gotten up and been put back to bed once that night by her granddad, and she was also known to sleepwalk. The accused asked friends "how did they get her out the house though?" in his group chat conversation with friends. That indicates to me that there is something more to it - that Alesha was up when he got there and he lured her out, or that she was already out, perhaps in the garden (i doubt her feet would be clean if she'd walked to where she died, but it was a warm summer night and she could have stepped out into the garden without immediately becoming muddy). That she was out, or at least not in her bed where she was meant to be, when he came across and subsequently abducted her.

 

[Taskforce88]

deleted because I see Edin has answered it - so his mother kept a check on what he was drinking all night

The mother said that as well, but that is possibly what he told her.

 

[Edinlass]

deleted because I see Edin has answered it - so his mother kept a check on what he was drinking all night

Pretty sure his mum said he had drank that and that he was drunk.

Edited - true this could of been what he had told her, doubt she was keeping tabs if she was also drinking

 

[charlotte123456]

His mother did, and said he was extremely drunk. The CCTV footage would have let the jury see just how ‘drunk’ he was though..

Ahh, ok, fair enough. I suppose I’m quite shocked that any mother would just observe her teenage son drink that amount and then leave him to his own devices and go to bed...? Especially if he has a history of criminal/difficult behaviour in the past? Recipe for disaster IMO.