Alesha MacPhail murder trial: 'Mountain of evidence' against boy, 16, court hears

A teenager accused of abducting, raping and murdering a six-year-old girl faces a "mountain of evidence" against him, a court has heard.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is on trial accused of killing Alesha MacPhail after she went to stay with her father and grandparents on the Isle of Bute last July.

In his closing speech at Glasgow's High Court, advocate depute Iain McSporran QC said the accused had told a "pack of lies" from the witness box and the only "true" verdict would be to find the boy guilty.

"We say he raped and murdered her and that's the verdict we seek," Mr McSporran told the jury.

The lawyer said the evidence "points squarely" to Alesha being abducted and taken to woods where she was found, by the person who killed her, which he claimed was the accused.

The court has previously heard that the accused's DNA was found on Alesha's body and his phone was used to search for "how do police find DNA".

The teenager - who denies abducting, raping and murdering Alesha - has lodged a special defence of incrimination, blaming Toni McLachlan, the partner of Alesha's father, for the crime.

He claims he and Ms McLachlan met for sex on 2 July and she planted DNA evidence from a condom on Alesha after smothering the girl to death.

The accused said he did not tell police about having sex with Ms McLachlan because he feared Alesha's father, Robert MacPhail, would "hurt" her.

But Mr McSporran said the accused was telling "a pack of lies then [to the police] and a pack of lies in the witness box yesterday".

The boy's allegations against Ms McLachlan were "preposterous" and DNA matching the accused was "pretty well all over" Alesha's body, the lawyer added.

There was no evidence "whatsoever" against Ms McLachlan, while the accused faced "a mountain of evidence" against him, Mr McSporran said.

The teenager's defence lawyer used his closing speech to urge the jury to acquit his client.

Brian McConnachie QC said the jurors had to consider if they were satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused "abducted, raped and murdered a six-year-old girl he had never met before in his life" before "calmly" walking back home.

"My submission is the answer to that question has to be no and the verdict has to be one of acquittal," he added.

During the trial, Ms McLachlan has denied that she was responsible for Alesha's death or that she planted evidence, saying she "loved" the schoolgirl.

The trial continues.