Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Alesha’s mum speaks out as judges consider killer’s sentence appeal
Judges will take a “considerable amount of time” before making a decision on whether to reduce child- killer Aaron Campbell’s prison sentence.
Campbell, 17, murdered Airdrie schoolgirl Alesha MacPhail on the Isle of Bute last summer.
He was unanimously convicted by a jury in March before subsequently admitting his guilt to a court psychologist prior to sentencing.
Campbell, who was 16 when he killed six-year-old Alesha, appeared via video-link at the High Court in Edinburgh last week, as his solicitors argued that the 27-year sentence he was given is “excessive”.
Alesha’s mum Georgina Lochrane labelled Campbell’s bid to have his sentence reduced “laughable” and insisted, “the system now has a chance to make an example of him and they better grasp it with both hands”.
Campbell’s legal team acknowledged the “appalling” and “heinous” nature of his crimes while the teenager showed no emotion, staring into the camera dressed in a black-polo shirt.
Hi s solicitor Brian McConnachie said: “The question of whether he will be released will depend on the view of the Parole Board and upon them reaching a conclusion that it would be safe to release him.
“I accept, as does the appellant, that day may never come.
“Due to the appellant’s age, the punishment selected was excessive and amounts to a miscarriage of justice.”
He added: “If one maintains a punishment period as it is then the appellant will be 43 years of age before the issue [of his release] is perhaps considered to any degree.
“The appellant will have been in custody for the entire period he has been on this Earth, plus another 11 years.”
The lawyer went on to argue the sentencing judge had overly-focused on “pessimistic” background reports when choosing the minimum jail term.
He said: “In placing so much emphasis on the negative prospects of reintegration, this effectively disallowed the opportunity for progress to be made up until that period.
“When one is dealing with a child, it would make much more sense to give that opportunity because one knows there’s the ultimate arbiter of whether someone is or can be rehabilitated into society with the Parole Board.”
Campbell sat rigidly with his arms at his side during the entire hearing and stared blankly into the camera.
When the appeal concluded, the judges said they will take a “considerable amount of time” to “properly reflect” before making a decision.
On her Justice for Alesha Facebook page, Georgina Lochrane wrote: “Claiming he is too young for this sentence is an actual laughable argument, chancing his luck with everyone now.
“We do not have any insight as to what the outcome will be on... and what will take place other than our prayers and hopes that our justice system does not fail Alesha or listen to his b*******.”