The dad of murdered Alesha MacPhail was shown compassion in court after he vandalised a car belonging to killer Aaron Campbell’s mum.
Grief-stricken Robert MacPhail, 30, put a rock through the window of Janette Campbell’s motor outside her home on Rothesay, Isle of Bute. Evil Campbell is serving a life sentence over the 2018 abduction, rape and murder of Alesha when she was just six years old.
Greenock Sheriff Court heard MacPhail had let his emotions get the better of him while on his way to see a friend after he’d been drinking. He smashed the window of the car and shouted and swore, on July 25, 2021.
MacPhail admitted his guilt at an earlier court hearing, pleading guilty to charges of vandalism and threatening behaviour. On Wednesday, he returned to the dock to be sentenced, after his lawyer previously said he’d been “overcome by an overwhelming sense of anger and trauma”.
Sheriff Michael Higgins said he noted MacPhail had not come to the attention of police in the 18 months since the incident, adding: “I’ve taken on board the very particular circumstances of this case. I heard the plea in mitigation, on your behalf, on the last occasion.
"I’ve taken on board all that’s been said, but it is, of course, conduct the court can’t condone.” He fined MacPhail, of Rothesay, £360, reduced from £400, and ordered him to pay a £20 victim surcharge.
At a hearing earlier this year, defence lawyer Gerry Keenan said: "It is difficult to envisage something that would engender greater unhappiness than the death of a child, and the way in which the child died. Mr MacPhail did not seek out the complainer. He had been drinking and was on his way to see a friend.
"As he passed the house he saw items of masonry and he was overcome by an overwhelming sense of anger and trauma. His behaviour reflected that anger and trauma. Mr MacPhail understands that he had no basis from which to direct his anger, but one can understand why he did it, although clearly it cannot be excused.
"Mr MacPhail is doing as well as can be expected, albeit the wound of losing his daughter clearly will never heal. It would be reasonable to assume that what he did is something that is not going to reoccur." MacPhail admitted his guilt in August and sentencing was adjourned for three months, until yesterday, for him to be of good behaviour.
He was accompanied at court yesterday by girlfriend Toni McLachlan, who was accused of Alesha's death by Campbell. The killer tried to pin the blame on her, lodging a special defence of incrimination, claiming she was in fact the killer. But the jury took just three hours to find him guilty of the charges against him in February 2019.
Campbell's mum had helped police with their investigation after he killed Alesha in July 2018, when he was 16. He took her from her bed, carried her to woodland area and raped and murdered her. He was initially jailed for 27 years but in 2019 the sentence was reduced to 24 years on appeal. Last week we revealed the house is on the market for a knock-down price after it failed to sell.
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