Boy, 16, accused of Alesha murder ‘searched on his phone about DNA’
A PHONE belonging to a teenager accused of the abduction, rape and murder of a six-yearold girl was used to search “how do police find DNA”, a court has heard.
The Alesha MacPhail murder trial also heard evidence that fibres from clothes recovered from the shoreline of Ardbeg, Isle of Bute, were “indistinguishable” from those discovered on her vest, shorts and pants, found near her body.
The schoolgirl was found dead in woodland on the island on July 2, having arrived to spend part of the summer holidays at the home her father, his partner and grandparents shared.
A 16-year-old boy has lodged a special defence of incrimination, blaming Toni McLachlan – the girlfriend of Alesha’s father Robert MacPhail – for the killing.
Cyber crime team leader Peter Benson told the High Court in Glasgow he helped compile relevant information following a forensic investigation of the accused’s phone.
From the device’s internet history, two items were deemed relevant for inclusion including the Google search “how do police find DNA” at 12.32am on July 3, the day after Alesha’s body was found.
Mr Benson said this would be “something you type in”.
A minute later the internet history shows a page on collecting DNA evidence, which Mr Benson said indicates “the person using the phone has gone to one of the hits”.
The former policeman was also questioned about any communication on Instagram between the accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and the person who the teenager blames for Alesha’s death.
Advocate Depute Iain McSporran QC asked Mr Benson if there was Instagram communication between the accused and Ms McLachlan.
He replied: “I can say there was no indication of that at all.”
The teenager denies abducting, raping and murdering Alesha, and attempting to hide evidence.
The trial continues.