Mother of Northumberland murder victim calls for more understanding around youth domestic abuse
Holly Newton's mum is calling for authorities to recognise her daughter as a victim of domestic abuse and stalking
The mum of a Northumberland teenager, murdered by her ex-boyfriend - says it's so important authorities take cases of stalking serious, even in young people.
Today Logan MacPhail, from Gateshead, who is now 17, was given a life sentence, with a minimum of 17 years in prison for the murder of 15 year old Holly Newton, in Hexham, in January 2023.
16 at the time, MacPhail had stalked Holly for an hour through the town before stabbing her 36 times in an alleyway, and stabbing a teenage boy who tried to stop the attack.
The court heard the attack was so savage the weapon broke and the blade snapped.
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.
MacPhail was convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August and 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.
Mr Justice Hilliard, sentencing, said MacPhail, who has autism and learning difficulties, did not accept that their 18-month relationship was over.
He said: "I am satisfied that earlier in January 2023, Holly indicated that the relationship was at an end and you realised at this time she meant it for good.
"You were not able to accept that, you were obsessed with Holly and your desire to resume the relationship."
The judge said by the time MacPhail lured Holly down the alleyway, the teenager had decided to attack her, having spoken to her at a bus stop.
"You were filled with resentment and jealousy but still able to calculate where you were best able to attack her."
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.
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".
Mr Justice Hilliard said: "The stark facts are that you made a conscious decision to stab a 15-year-old girl to death with a knife that you were carrying unlawfully in a public place having followed her secretly around town for an hour, all because your relationship with her had ended.
"You were jealous of the fact she might see someone else.
"What happened in this case should not happen to any child or any parent."
The judge described the attack, which lasted more than a minute, as "vicious and brutal".
Speaking of the family's loss, Mr Justice Hilliard added: "All those years ahead for a 15-year-old girl that she and they will never see."
MacPhail had admitted manslaughter, but was convicted of murder as well as wounding with intent on the teenage boy.
The boy was stabbed four times by MacPhail after he tried to stop the fatal attack and said he was now struggling with his mental health.
The youth, who cannot be identified by the media due to his age, told the court in his victim statement that he found his GCSEs difficult and found it hard to concentrate following the attack.
He said: "I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I cannot imagine what Holly's family are going through.
"Whatever sentence Logan gets it ain't going to change what happened that day."
Outside court, Detective Sergeant Darren Davies, of Northumbria Police, said: "We would urge everyone to look at the pain this incident has caused to so many people and think twice before carrying a weapon of any kind."
Lynsey Colling, deputy chief crown prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service North East, said: "It is very clear from the evidence in this case that Logan MacPhail killed Holly Newton after being unable to accept that their relationship was over."
The Crown instructed psychiatrists to determine whether MacPhail was fit to stand trial after that had been raised as an issue by the defence.
"Crucially, those assessments also showed that MacPhail possessed the capacity to have formed the required intent to prove the murder charge," she said.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said:
“My sympathy is with Holly’s family. Although today’s sentencing won’t bring Holly back, I hope knowing that the individual responsible for her death will be behind bars gives them at least a small sense justice has been done. Understandably, the sentence won’t feel anywhere near long enough, but I hope the family are now able to move forward with their lives as best they can.
"I am full of admiration for how Micala, Lee and the family have conducted themselves throughout the investigation and trial, and they have my full support with their calls for her murder to be classed as domestic abuse, rather than a knife crime incident. It just so happened a knife was used but this categorization distracts from the sustained abuse and suffering Holly suffered in the lead up to her death.
"It’s only right the criminal justice system acknowledges this. We need an urgent review of current legislation and how the system can better protect young victims in coercive, controlling and abusive relationships.
"I would be pleased to work with them in future, if that might be helpful, supporting their campaign for a change in the law that recognises there is no age limit on domestic abuse. Abuse in teenage relationships can be just as harmful as abuse in adult relationships.
"This has been a very challenging investigation for everyone involved and my thanks go to our police officers and everyone who has worked hard on this difficult case to get today’s outcome.”