When he saw her sleeping he had four questions: murder, rape, necrophilia and paedophilia
THE decision to allow Aaron Campbell’s sentence to be slashed yesterday gave a chilling insight into the “sadistic” teen with a selfconfessed desire for rape, murder, paedophilia and sex with dead bodies.
Three of the country’s top judges, Lady Dorrian, Lord Menzies and Lord Drummond Young, issued a 21-page written judgment on whether the 27-year punishment imposed on Campbell in March was “excessive”.
Within the document are spine-chilling details of the 17-year-old’s twisted fantasies, his staggering lack of remorse and insight into his crime and even his potential to dupe prison staff into trusting him before striking again.
The most disturbing insights came from an interview Campbell had with psychologist Dr Gary Macpherson after his conviction, in which he confessed to his crime in harrowing detail.
The judgment stated: “In his interview with Dr Macpherson, the appellant volunteered that he was ‘quite satisfied’ with the murder. He reported that he continued to experience thoughts of killing and having sex with children and having sex with dead bodies. He wished to point out that he was not fantasising about this but ‘acting on his thoughts’.”
Campbell told Dr Macpherson that on seeing Alesha sleeping after sneaking into her grandparents home on the Isle of Bute in July last year, he had “four questions – murder, rape, necrophilia and paedophilia”.
The psychologist said there was evidence of Campbell behaving “sadistically to persons or creatures who are smaller, weaker or vulnerable” to him in the past.
He said Campbell presented with a “wide range of risk factors for sexual offending” including “sexual violence and sexual contact with children” as well as “an obsession and preoccupation with extreme sexual thoughts”.
The reports presented to the judges contained claims by Campbell that Alesha was dead before he sexually assaulted her. They said his account was “wholly contradicted” by the post mortem evidence.
A social work report records Campbell stating that the offence “resulted from his alcohol misuse and his curiosity and desire to experience how it would feel to kill someone”.
From a rehabilitation perspective, the psychology report also noted that Campbell has the “capacity to mimic or articulate change when no such change has taken place”.
It echoed a report by forensic psychologist Dr Lorraine Johnstone, where she stated: “I would also caution that he is very likely to be the type of prisoner who will pose no particular management problems or behavioural concerns and perhaps manoeuvre himself into a trusted position – perhaps as a Passman – in the establishment and thereafter take an opportunity to perpetrate a serious offence.”
Dr Johnstone said she believed Campbell had developed a “sadistic personality” and a “dangerous and severe personality disorder” prior to the killing.
Despite Campbell’s warped behaviour and lack or remorse, the appeal judges said it was not possible to entirely rule our rehabilitation.
The judgment said: “The likelihood for change in the appellant may indeed be limited but on the basis of the expert material, we do not think that it is possible entirely to rule out any residual capacity for change in such a young individual, notwithstanding the atrocious nature of his crime.”