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Teenager denies rape and murder of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail

Teenager denies murder of Alesha MacPhail - Facebook
Teenager denies murder of Alesha MacPhail - Facebook

A teenage boy is to stand trial charged with raping and murdering a six-year-old girl after abducting her from her island home.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of killing Alesha MacPhail on the Isle of Bute in July.

Alesha's mother, Georgina Lochrane from Airdrie, a witness in the case, was given special permission by the judge Lady Rae to see the case begin in open court for the first time on Monday.

Prosecutors allege, at the High Court in Glasgow, that he was armed with a knife when he took Alesha from her bed at a house in Rothesay

It is claimed he then carried the schoolgirl to the site of the former Kyles Hydropathic Hotel on the island.

The indictment states that he took off Alesha's clothes, shook her violently before placing his hands over her nose, mouth and around her neck.

The boy is said to have "applied pressure" to her face, inflicted injuries by "means unknown" with prosecutors alleging he went on to rape and murder the six-year-old.

He also faces a separate charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. It alleges he went to another house in the town’s Ardbeg Road before disposing of the clothes he had worn and then taking a shower to remove blood from his body.

This is said to have been done in a bid to "destroy or conceal evidence".

Brian McConnachie QC, defending, submitted a plea of not guilty to both charges on his behalf

The trial in February is expected to last 10 days.