Holly Newton was 15 when she was stabbed 36 times in a minute by Logan MacPhail, then aged 16, in an alleyway and died later in hospital, as CCTV of her killer was released
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Logan MacPhail caught boarding and disembarking bus to Hexham
Horrifying CCTV footage shows a schoolboy travelling on a bus on his way to knife his ex-girlfriend to death in an alleyway.
Holly Newton, 15, had complained about the obsessive behaviour of Logan MacPhail hours before he stabbed her 36 times in a minute in an alleyway. MacPhail, whose identity was at first protected before judge Mr Justice Hilliard lifted an order, was captured on CCTV in the moments before the brutal attack.
His face can be seen covered with a scarf as he spoke to Holly at a bus stop. Wearing a black puffa jacket, black cap, tracksuit bottoms and trainers, he was carrying a bag which had inside the 6inch knife. MacPhail, now 17 but aged 16 at the time of the murder, travelled 90 minutes from his school 25 miles away in Gateshead to pursue Holly as she left Queen Elizabeth High School at 3.30pm in Hexham, Northumberland.
The trial had heard how he waited around outside Holly’s school to see her leave at 3.30pm with another boy. He followed her for around an hour before he asked to speak to her in a nearby alleyway. He then inflicted the blows in an alleyway in the Priestpopple area. Police eventually located him at 1am after his mum reported her concern for his welfare.
He had been outside of Holly’s home in Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Lifting the order today, Mr Justice Hillard said: “There is great public concern about murders by young people who have carried knives in public places and about violence to women and girls. Legitimate debate is assisted by knowing who has committed such offences and their circumstances and the full detail of the offences in question.”
Holly was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after the attack despite the best efforts of doctors to save her. Queen Elizabeth High School described her as a “truly lovely student” who was “quiet, conscientious, helpful and kind”.
Holly’s mum Micala Trussler said her daughter had “begged” her to let her go into town after school on the day of her murder rather than come home to meet the police about the stalking, so the meeting was rescheduled for later that evening. She said: “In the end, the biggest mistake of my life. He has ruined our lives and he took Holly’s.
Speaking outside court after MacPhail was found guilty of murder in August, she said: “To think she should have been receiving her GCSE results last week. Instead our baby girl’s future was taken away from her. No result will ever bring our beautiful girl back.”
Holly’s step-father Lee Trussler said he was “haunted” by her death. MacPhail claimed his mind was “blank” at the time of the attack and he had intended to kill himself with the knife. He then admitted he attacked Holly before backtracking and saying he never intended to hurt her.
