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

[embro68]

You would expect him to answer the questions honestly to get out of there and back home if he had only done a bit of weed.

He would have had a lawyer, who would have advised him to say no comment.

 

[Bustia]

Interesting - was phone GPS from the accused used as evidence? If not, could this be that the mast coverage is not accurate enough to pinpoint location?

I was wondering this also earlier in the trial. I tried to find out how many masts there are on the island but couldn’t find anything really concrete. I also think the area is maybe too small for the phone location to be accurate. This is just my opinion and may not be fact.

 

[Edinlass]

Not to my knowledge lol
I walked into that

I think this case shows that if you have a dysfunctional family it can be used against you as in this case used to cast doubt on the accused and push it towards the family

Yes - you only have to look at a case like Maddie McCann to see how people are judged differently given their financial / family dynamic circumstances. Had that been an unemployed family holidying in Benidorm who were out drinking in a karaoke bar the same distance as to the restaurant the McCanns were dining in they would have been charged with neglect, condemned and ripped apart in the media. They would have been given no financial help to fund a search over and over again.

 

[beseeingyou]

Beseeingyou I have 2 questions for you...if the accused is found guilty will you accept that decision? Will you then condemn the actions of the accused as vigorously as you have been defending them?

Firstly, i haven't been 'vigorously' defending the accused. If that's how you perceive it then it backs up my theory and comments i made regarding the thrust of your posts throughout this case.

We're entitled to our own opinion on here, and my opinion is and has always been that there is more to this case than there appears to be. I have never once said that i don't think the accused is guilty, nor have i said that i think the accused is not guilty. All i have done is challenge certain aspects of the case that certain people seem to think are de facto indicators of guilt.

I find all this 'i am nervous about the verdict' chat pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant. At the very least it suggests people are unwilling to trust in the ability and decision of the jury (who have been privvy to all aspects of the case, not just what is tweeted and printed), and at worst it shows a mob like hunger for a guilty verdict, neither of which are particularly respectful towards the victim or the families involved.

 

[Nikynoo]

Snipped by me




Yes - me too. That picture of her mother arriving at court today, simply harrowing.

I know I have said this before, on other cases, but....

at the end of the Jury deliberations, when the verdict has been returned, we, on here, will all either breathe a sigh of relief, or be angry if our wished for verdict ( whichever it may be ) is not achieved.
Then, we will, after a period of reflection, go about our normal routine.
For Alesha's family and friends, there will be no such ability to step back to a normal life.
They will carry on serving the life time sentence that this murder has inflicted upon them.

I agree, however, can I add that regardless of what verdict is reached, neither family's lives will be the same.

 

[Alyce]

A few more lines from the Judge's summing up - I find the last line interesting.


Speaking to the jury before they retired to consider their verdict, Lord Matthews said: "Suggestions made to witnesses are not evidence but it's whether they agree with the suggestions or not.

"You should consider all the evidence to see how, if at all, it fits together.

"Even the most honest witness trying their level best to tell the truth may be wrong.

"This could be due to time or consuming drugs or alcohol at the time something happened.

Jury considering verdict in Alesha MacPhail murder trial

 

[Nikynoo]

Firstly, i haven't been 'vigorously' defending the accused. If that's how you perceive it then it backs up my theory and comments i made regarding the thrust of your posts throughout this case.

We're entitled to our own opinion on here, and my opinion is and has always been that there is more to this case than there appears to be. I have never once said that i don't think the accused is guilty, nor have i said that i think the accused is not guilty. All i have done is challenge certain aspects of the case that certain people seem to think are de facto indicators of guilt.

I find all this 'i am nervous about the verdict' chat pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant. At the very least it suggests people are unwilling to trust in the ability and decision of the jury (who have been privvy to all aspects of the case, not just what is tweeted and printed), and at worst it shows a mob like hunger for a guilty verdict, neither of which are particularly respectful towards the victim or the families involved.

Bravo! I agree completely!

 

[Alyce]

I agree, however, can I add that regardless of what verdict is reached, neither family's lives will be the same.

Yes, I agree - the ripples from this event spread very wide

 

[Nikynoo]

A few more lines from the Judge's summing up - I find the last line interesting.


Speaking to the jury before they retired to consider their verdict, Lord Matthews said: "Suggestions made to witnesses are not evidence but it's whether they agree with the suggestions or not.

"You should consider all the evidence to see how, if at all, it fits together.

"Even the most honest witness trying their level best to tell the truth may be wrong.

"This could be due to time or consuming drugs or alcohol at the time something happened.

Jury considering verdict in Alesha MacPhail murder trial

what, in your opinion, do you think this means?

 

[Pooksthebear]

Assuming they were innocent, they MAY have come forward. Quite a lot of assumptions for "beyond doubt"

Beyond ‘reasonable’ doubt .. to me yes it’s beyond reasonable doubt .. I think it’s reasonable to assume (given the timings and description) that this figure had Alesha

 

[Neko Luna Moon]

what, in your opinion, do you think this means?

Perhaps the mother's testimony? If she was drunk at the time like he said she was, maybe?

 

[beseeingyou]

Bravo! I agree completely!

Appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Marlinspike]

Firstly, i haven't been 'vigorously' defending the accused. If that's how you perceive it then it backs up my theory and comments i made regarding the thrust of your posts throughout this case.

We're entitled to our own opinion on here, and my opinion is and has always been that there is more to this case than there appears to be. I have never once said that i don't think the accused is guilty, nor have i said that i think the accused is not guilty. All i have done is challenge certain aspects of the case that certain people seem to think are de facto indicators of guilt.

I find all this 'i am nervous about the verdict' chat pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant. At the very least it suggests people are unwilling to trust in the ability and decision of the jury (who have been privvy to all aspects of the case, not just what is tweeted and printed), and at worst it shows a mob like hunger for a guilty verdict, neither of which are particularly respectful towards the victim or the families involved.

Well said.

 

[Gallicrow]

He would have had a lawyer, who would have advised him to say no comment.

See No Comment! | Think Forensic
"If you’re innocent, and have proof of this, there’s really no reason to give ‘no comment’ when interviewed; it’s common sense. But if you’re not innocent, or you have little evidence to prove you are, it seems uttering ‘no comment’ won’t necessarily save your skin. Ultimately, it just delays the inevitable…"

 

[Pooksthebear]

Firstly, i haven't been 'vigorously' defending the accused. If that's how you perceive it then it backs up my theory and comments i made regarding the thrust of your posts throughout this case.

We're entitled to our own opinion on here, and my opinion is and has always been that there is more to this case than there appears to be. I have never once said that i don't think the accused is guilty, nor have i said that i think the accused is not guilty. All i have done is challenge certain aspects of the case that certain people seem to think are de facto indicators of guilt.

I find all this 'i am nervous about the verdict' chat pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant. At the very least it suggests people are unwilling to trust in the ability and decision of the jury (who have been privvy to all aspects of the case, not just what is tweeted and printed), and at worst it shows a mob like hunger for a guilty verdict, neither of which are particularly respectful towards the victim or the families involved.

I am nervous, not because I distrust the jury but because of the availability of a not proven verdict .. that’s neither guilty nor not guilty but the accused still walks free..

 

[Alyce]

Snipped by me

I find all this 'i am nervous about the verdict' chat pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant.

Why is it unpleasant, for posters who have followed this case, to be nervous about wanting the correct verdict to be returned ( whichever verdict it is that they wish for ).
Surely that is a sign of people wanting justice to be done.

 

[Nikynoo]

Perhaps the mother's testimony? If she was drunk at the time like he said she was, maybe?

Possibly, but I didn't think she had said anything that would support either side. I thought her evidence was more factual than anything else, mostly to introduce the CCTV as evidence? I could be wrong though.

 

[Taskforce88]

See No Comment! | Think Forensic
"If you’re innocent, and have proof of this, there’s really no reason to give ‘no comment’ when interviewed; it’s common sense. But if you’re not innocent, or you have little evidence to prove you are, it seems uttering ‘no comment’ won’t necessarily save your skin. Ultimately, it just delays the inevitable…"

Well that is a very good quote.

 

[Kikixxxx]

Firstly, i haven't been 'vigorously' defending the accused. If that's how you perceive it then it backs up my theory and comments i made regarding the thrust of your posts throughout this case.

We're entitled to our own opinion on here, and my opinion is and has always been that there is more to this case than there appears to be. I have never once said that i don't think the accused is guilty, nor have i said that i think the accused is not guilty. All i have done is challenge certain aspects of the case that certain people seem to think are de facto indicators of guilt.

I find all this 'i am nervous about the verdict' chat pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant. At the very least it suggests people are unwilling to trust in the ability and decision of the jury (who have been privvy to all aspects of the case, not just what is tweeted and printed), and at worst it shows a mob like hunger for a guilty verdict, neither of which are particularly respectful towards the victim or the families involved.

We’re nervous a boy like this might actually walk free, I think I better delete my account on here because it’s quite draining and exhausting constantly repeating yourself.

Some people will only believe the accused did it if Its proved beyond all doubt he did.

That can never happen can it? And the courts know this, Realistically, no one will ever know the 100% truth apart from him and alesha. We have to just go off the bits that we do know.. and make an assumption. It’s fair enough if you don’t think he did it but you seem to repeat yourself over and over that “ I never said he didn’t do it” but then start talking like you do believe he didn’t do it?!

 

[Marlinspike]

Beyond ‘reasonable’ doubt .. to me yes it’s beyond reasonable doubt .. I think it’s reasonable to assume (given the timings and description) that this figure had Alesha

So if the figure had Alesha, and we can only speculate that this is what the images show from descriptions tweeted to us, why would the person carryin Alesha (assuming it's not the accused or the girlfriend) come forward to the police? Bizarre idea.