Alesha murder accused discussed killing online
A16-YEAR-OLD boy accused of abducting, raping and murdering a six-year old girl sent a video of himself to friends with the message “Found the guy who’s done it”, a court has heard.
Giving evidence, a 16-year-old girl who was friends with the accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Alesha MacPhail going missing was discussed in a Snapchat group of around 25 friends on Monday, July 2.
The schoolgirl had been staying in the house her father shared with her grandparents on the Isle of Bute when she was reported missing shortly after 6am on July 2 last year.
Her body was found hours later in a wooded area on the island.
The witness told the High Court in Glasgow the accused sent a video of himself in the mirror showing his top half but not his face to the group chat that afternoon, followed by the message “Found the guy who’s done it”.
The witness said she thought it was a “bad joke” but she later told police when it emerged an arrest had been made in the murder inquiry.
Questioned by the Brian McConnachie QC, for the accused, she said at the time it was posted she was not aware Alesha had been murdered.
He asked her: “If [the accused] had not been arrested, you would have continued to think this was a bad joke?”
“Yeah,” she replied.
The video showed the accused in the mirror recording himself saying: “Found where the murderer was hiding” pointing to himself, another one of his friends, also 16, told the court.
The friend also thought it was “a joke” but is now “not sure”.
He also told the court he found the accused talking about suicide early on July 2 after a party at his home but left after he seemed better.
The court also heard from another friend of the accused, who showed police messages he sent her in 2017, saying he “might kill 1 day for the lifetime experience”.
She asked him what the chances of getting away with murder with a good plan were and he replied: “Well if it was a gd plan then 100%”.
The teenager agreed these were theoretical exchanges where she brought up the subject of murder and at the time caused her no concern, saying they both had a dark sense of humour and the conversation was “not serious”.
The accused, who denies abducting, raping and murdering Alesha, and attempting to hide evidence has lodged a special defence blaming Toni McLachlan, the girlfriend of Alesha’s father, for the killing.
The trial continues.