'Jealous' teen stalker jailed for life after stabbing to death 15-year-old ex-girlfriend after she dumped him
1 November 2024, 11:21 | Updated: 1 November 2024, 11:47
A teenager who stabbed to death his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend in Northumberland has been jailed for life.
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Logan MacPhail, 17, has been detained for a minimum term of 17 years for murdering Holly Newton, 15.
He stalked her in Hexham, Northumberland, then stabbed her to death in January 2023.
CCTV showed him wearing a snood and a baseball cap and ducking out of sight as he followed Holly and her friends around the town centre.
He also stabbed a teenage boy who intervened to try to stop the attack.
Logan MacPhail following Holly and friends
He was convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, and was sentenced at the same court on Friday.
Last month the judge lifted a reporting restriction which had prevented the media from identifying him due to his age.
The prosecution said MacPhail, who has autism and learning difficulties, did not accept that their 18-month relationship was over.
The night before he murdered Holly, he travelled 40 miles from his home in Gateshead to hers in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, where he hung around for hours.
Logan MacPhail and Holly Newton entering alleyway in Hexham before he murdered her
MacPhail was eventually taken home by police who had been alerted by his mother that he was missing.
Holly's mother, Micala Trussler, was concerned enough to contact the police and arranged to speak to an officer about MacPhail's behaviour the next afternoon.
That same afternoon, MacPhail stabbed Holly to death.
MacPhail, who met Holly when they both attended Army cadets, claimed he never planned to attack her, but wanted to use the knife to kill himself - but the jury rejected his story.
In a victim statement on Thursday, Mrs Trussler described not being able to be with her fatally-injured daughter in hospital because her body "was a crime scene".
The mother-of-four said Holly and MacPhail had a typical teenage relationship at first, but her daughter came to realise he was controlling her.
Mrs Trussler believed her daughter was the victim of domestic abuse, although she was under 16 at the time, and was caused emotional turmoil by her ex-partner.
He changed her social media passwords and made her believe he could hack into her accounts, as well as threatening to self-harm.
The night before the murder, MacPhail tried repeatedly to be allowed into Holly's home and hung around for hours, trying to convince one of her siblings to open the door.
"I dread to think what could have happened to the rest of my family had he been allowed inside," the mother said.
During the two-day sentencing exercise, there was discussion about MacPhail's learning difficulties, his autism and his culpability.
David Brooke KC, prosecuting, pointed out the teenager was able to get to Haltwhistle from his home in Gateshead alone the night before the murder, to follow Holly around Hexham while disguised and to lie to her about his whereabouts.
"He was perfectly able to make rational choices," Mr Brooke said.
Nigel Edwards KC, defending, said MacPhail's progress since he has been in secure accommodation was "meteoric".
MacPhail had admitted manslaughter, but was convicted of murder as well as wounding with intent on the teenage boy.
