UK - Alesha MacPhail, 6, raped & murdered, Ardbeg, Isle of Bute, Scotland, 2 Jul 2018 -*arrest* #3

[Edinlass]

Connor Gillies - Twitter

During cross examination the witness admits she only “got a glimpse” of Toni. Witness says it is “possible” she could now be mistaken that it was in fact Toni. Witness also says the man was wearing “wrap around shades” so she couldn’t see his eyes.

Is she wholly sure or not? This is people’s life, why give a statement to the police if your NOT 100%

 

[HayLouise]

'Wrap around shades'... at 11pm?

 

[mrazda71]

So this proves that TM did in fact confide in the accused. Which, in turn, changes the dynamic of their relationship quite significantly.

It proves nothing in my opinion ... having lived in a place the size of Bute myself, everyone knows everyone and everything or rather, thinks they know everything.
If the Accused knew of violence between Rab and Toni, it certainly would NOT need Toni to tell him!

 

[Yenriac]

And the question is, WHY would they feel the need to lie about being out of the house or not ?

Exactly. Why lie? The witness admits she only got a glimpse but she also said she knows both TM and RM families very well therefore she could be absolutely right she saw them.

 

[HayLouise]

Fraser Knight‏ @Fraser_Knight

Mrs Crawford says she didn’t know Robert MacPhail was Toni’s partner until she saw posts about Alesha on Facebook after she went missing. Prosecution asks if it was then she “put two and two together that was the male you saw” She says yes.

 

[Yenriac]

Exactly. Why lie? The witness admits she only got a glimpse but she also said she knows both TM and RM families very well therefore she could be absolutely right she saw them.

And now she's backtracking. Not a credible witness IMO

 

[Alyce]

To me, it feels like clutching at straws.

I guess similarly to the prosecution they will be saving their best until last though. My heart is in my mouth.

Not really.
The Defence do have to do everything they can to undermine the Prosecution case. The fact that it would appear both RM and TM have lied, or at the very least have been a bit economical with the truth, choosing to leave out the fact that they were outside at 11pm ( if indeed they were ) does point to credibility with the remainder of their evidence.
Having said that, it still cannot wipe out the overwhelming evidence against the accused in respect of Alesha's murder. So it may leave some of the Jury with a less than impressed view of RM and TM, but it shouldnt stop them bringing in a guilty verdict based on the very clear evidence against the accused.

 

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies

Next witness for the defence is Lindsay Calderwood. witness is a “good friend” of Toni.

 

[HayLouise]

Radio Clyde News‏Verified account @RadioClydeNews

Another witness has now been called. 20 year old Lindsey Calderwood lives in Rothesay. She says she is good friends with Toni McLachlan and knows her from school.

 

[Deufin]

Heart Scotland News‏ @HeartScotNews

Under cross-examination the prosecutors tell Mrs Crawford: “Just because you say you couldn’t be wrong, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t be wrong.” Mrs Crawford admits she only got a “glimpse” of the pair.

That’s a lot of detail she’s given for what was by her own admission a “glimpse” while driving?

 

[Edinlass]

Fraser Knight‏ @Fraser_Knight

Mrs Crawford says she didn’t know Robert MacPhail was Toni’s partner until she saw posts about Alesha on Facebook after she went missing. Prosecution asks if it was then she “put two and two together that was the male you saw” She says yes.

Coherced

See tbh this whole case is a mess, the only person I feel sorry for is Alesha. Seems to me she may have been failed by a lot of people. I am not victim shaming, I just feel so angry at these events. Why lie, why lie when your trying to get justice for your daughter why. Nothing else should matter in my eyes.

 

[Ruthbullock]

10:48

Alesha's dad and his girlfriend 'seen on street night before she vanished'

The second defence witness of today, Laura Crawford, is now giving evidence.

She tells the court she saw Mr MacPhail and Ms McLachlan on the street just hours before Alesha vanished.

She says she was driving past the youngster’s grandparents’ home at the time of the sighting shortly after 11pm on July 1 last year.

The court hears the couple were “around the corner” from the property, and it looked like they had possibly “fallen out”.

Mr MacPhail had his hand on Ms McLachlan’s arm and was trying to “get her to turn around”, according to Ms Crawford.

Boy accused of murdering Alesha MacPhail, 6, denies rape

So if they were both out past 11.00, grandma must have been doing the laundry really late to leave the key in the door.

 

[Hhp28]

Oh my god. So they have denied being out of the house but a witness has confirmed they were. This whole thing is a mess.

When I was younger an ex boyfriends mother told her son she had seen myself and her son arguing in her street the night before. We had been at a friend's all night and then stayed at my house, we knew she had seen people that looked like us but definitely was not us. It is possible it wasn't them.

If it was, the fact they have lied about it doesn't look great. A mess like you say. I wonder if anyone else seen them argue?

Still, direct transfer evidence. It is going to take a lot to change my mind.

 

[HayLouise]

Heart Scotland News‏ @HeartScotNews

Toni Mclachlan’s “close friend” Lynsey Calderwood takes the stand. Says she and her partner helped look for Alesha on the morning she went missing.

 

[Taskforce88]

Not really.
The Defence do have to do everything they can to undermine the Prosecution case. The fact that it would appear both RM and TM have lied, or at the very least have been a bit economical with the truth, choosing to leave out the fact that they were outside at 11pm ( if indeed they were ) does point to credibility with the remainder of their evidence.
Having said that, it still cannot wipe out the overwhelming evidence against the accused in respect of Alesha's murder. So it may leave some of the Jury with a less than impressed view of RM and TM, but it shouldnt stop them bringing in a guilty verdict based on the very clear evidence against the accused.

The evidence against the accused is beyond doubt in my mind, but there seems to have always been something else going on that hasn't yet been brought to the surface.

 

[Yenriac]

When I was younger an ex boyfriends mother told her son she had seen myself and her son arguing in her street the night before. We had been at a friend's all night and then stayed at my house, we knew she had seen people that looked like us but definitely was not us. It is possible it wasn't them.

If it was, the fact they have lied about it doesn't look great. A mess like you say. I wonder if anyone else seen them argue?

Still, direct transfer evidence. It is going to take a lot to change my mind.

I was just pointing out what a mess the trial appears to be.

 

[Alyce]

And the question is, WHY would they feel the need to lie about being out of the house or not ?

Exactly. It is a pity they didnt include this information in their testimony, because it does not link to what happened later ( as far as I can see ).
And surely the grandparents were at home, looking after Alesha, so it is hardly as though it is making RM and TM look as though they had left Alesha on her own in the flat.

 

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies

Witness says she and Toni were searching for Alesha together. She says Toni said “I have a bad feeling” about the accused.

 

[Edinlass]

When I was younger an ex boyfriends mother told her son she had seen myself and her son arguing in her street the night before. We had been at a friend's all night and then stayed at my house, we knew she had seen people that looked like us but definitely was not us. It is possible it wasn't them.

If it was, the fact they have lied about it doesn't look great. A mess like you say. I wonder if anyone else seen them argue?

Still, direct transfer evidence. It is going to take a lot to change my mind.

Yes I don’t believe TM had anything to do with what happened to Alesha I just struggle to understand why, in the middle of a murder enquiry for your own flesh and blood (RMs) would you lie about being out arguing in the street. It’s really quite selfish IMO

 

[HayLouise]

Heart Scotland News‏ @HeartScotNews

Miss Calderwood tells the court Toni Mclachlan said to her she “had a bad feeling about (the accused)” while they were out searching. She agreed with the defence that “came out of the blue”

 

[HayLouise]

Connor Gillies‏Verified account @ConnorGillies

Witness says in days after death Toni was in at her house. She claims Toni said “she’s in a better place” when referring to Alesha’s death.