Section:GDN 1N PaGe:14 Edition Date:190808 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 7/8/2019 18:58 cYanmaGentaYellowbl
- The Guardian Thursday 8 August 2019
(^14) National
Libby Brooks
Scotland correspondent
The lawyer of Aaron Campbell, the
teenager convicted of the rape and
murder of six-year-old schoolgirl
Alesha MacPhail , has argued that his
sentencing last March to a minimum
terms of 27 years was “excessive and
amounted to a miscarriage of justice”.
Defence QC, Brian McConnachie,
who represented Campbell during
his trial in February, told three appeal
court judges in Edinburgh yesterday
morning that the killing of the school-
girl on the Isle of Bute last July was “an
appalling and heinous crime”.
He insisted that the outcome of the
appeal would not determine “when
or indeed if the appellant is ever
released”. That would be a matter for
the parole board, said McConnachie,
PA Media
No 1p or 2p coins were produced last
year by the Royal Mint. For the fi rst
time since 1972, no 1p coins were
struck for circulation in 2018-19 – and
for the fi rst time since 1984, no 2p coins
were produced.
The Treasury also said no £2 coins
were produced last year, as there were
already suffi cient numbers in circula-
tion at around 494 million coins.
At the time of the chancellor’s
spring statement in March last year,
the Treasury launched a review of cash
and digital payments.
A day after the review was
announced, Downing Street said it had
no plans to axe 1p and 2p coins after a
brief but determined media campaign
and concerns raised by charities.
In May , the government empha-
sised there would be no changes
to the mix of coins and notes, with
all denominations currently in use
remaining in circulation.
Cash use has fallen sharply in recent
years as the popularity of contactless
payments has surged.
and the appellant accepted that day
may never come.
Campbell – who was 16 at the time of
the murder – watched the proceedings
via video link from Polmont young
off enders institution.
He could be seen by the court,
wearing a black polo shirt and listen-
ing attentively as McConnachie put his
arguments forward.
McConnachie argued that the trial
judge, Lord Matthews, had attached
too great an importance to two
sentencing reports that were unduly
pessimistic regarding Campbell’s
capacity for rehabilitation, and thus
imposed an excessive punishment of
27 years to his life sentence.
Lady Dorrian, Scotland’s second
most senior judge, told McConnachie
that the case law indicated that in
sentencing children factors that may
not apply to adults should be taken
into account, such as their immaturity
and whether personality traits in
juveniles were more transitory and
capable of rehabilitation.
But she went on to point out that
the sentencing reports on Campbell’s
case suggested he had an “extremely
limited capacity” for change.
McConnachie argued: “The reports
are incredibly negative and pessimistic
but they are a snap shot in time of the
person we have today.”
He continued: “But to wait until he
is 43 years of age is an extraordinarily
lengthy period of time which does not
allow for the process of maturation,
development of responsibility or
healthy adult personality.”
Adjourning the court, Lady Dorrian
said the matter “requires proper
consideration and time”.
In a statement released in advance
of the hearing, Alesha’s mother,
Georgina Lochrane, said: “We do
not have any insight as to what the
outcome will be on Wednesday and
what will take place, other than our
prayers and hopes that our justice
system does not fail Alesha.”
MacPhail
killer tries to
get ‘excessive’
27-year jail
term reduced
No 1p or 2p pieces
minted last year as
card payments rise
▲ Alesha MacPhail’s mother, Georgina Lochrane, arrives at the high court in
Edinburgh to hear the appeal PHOTOGRAPH: ANDREW MILLIGAN/PA
▲ Alesha MacPhail, who was six when
murdered by Aaron Campbell, 16
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