Moment obsessed teen killer lures ex Holly Newton, 15, into alley before knifing her 36 times – as he’s jailed for life
THIS is the haunting moment a twisted teen killer lured his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend into an alleyway before stabbing her 36 times.
Logan MacPhail, then aged 16, was captured in chilling CCTV stalking Holly Newton for 45 minutes after she broke up with him.
He was seen chatting with the schoolgirl in a bus stop after she reluctantly agreed to hear him out.
Footage released by police today shows Holly looking hesitant as MacPhail wanders into an alley.
She then pauses for a moment before following the teen in – unaware he was hiding a knife.
Just seconds later, MacPhail, now aged 17, stabbed her “many, many times”.
The killer has now been jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years and 89 days after he was previously convicted of the “vicious and brutal” murder.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Hilliard said MacPhail was “filled with resentment and jealousy” and lured Holly to the alley to “attack her out of sight”.
He last month ruled the teen could be named despite his age – meaning details of his and Holly’s “toxic” relationship could be revealed for the first time.
The pair met three years before the brutal killing when they both attended Army Cadets in Consett, County Durham.
They embarked on a relationship but would regularly argue and broke up on a number of occasions.
MacPhail was a troubled teen who suffered with educational needs and autism that required him to attend a specialist school.
On January 21 last year – six days before the murder – Holly ended things for the final time.
Prosecutor David Brooke KC told Newcastle Crown Court: “Logan MacPhail was struggling to come to terms with the break-up.
“It is clear he was very unhappy about it.”
Consumed by his obsession with Holly, the teen tried to “trick” her into meeting him and pestered her friends.
The court was told Holly’s mum Micala Trussler had become so concerned that she alerted her daughter’s school.
The night before the horror, he travelled 40 miles from his home in Gateshead to hers in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, where he hung around for hours.
After MacPhail knocked on the door claiming he wanted his Playstation back, Holly’s mum arranged a meeting with police.
But Holly “begged” her mum to let her go into town after school rather than come home for the planned 4pm chat.
It was rescheduled for later that evening but tragically Holly was murdered before she could make it home.
On January 27, the teen messaged a friend, saying: “Apparently (MacPhail) is gonna meet to me outside of school.
“So he’s basically stalking me at this point. He’s gonna follow me until I talk to him”.
CCTV captured MacPhail on a bus with his face exposed before later putting on a snood to avoid detection.
He was then filmed following Holly for 45 minutes – making sure he was “careful not to be seen”.
As Holly and her friends walked past a cafe, hooded MacPhail was in hot pursuit.
He was also captured ducking and diving in a Tesco car park as he continued his stalking campaign.
MacPhail then stared at his ex while waiting outside a pizza restaurant that she had entered with a friend.
Holly's devastated mum pays tribute and calls for change in law
Holly’s grieving mum said she was unable to hug or kiss her daughter after the attack as her body became “evidence” and a “crime scene”.
Micala Trussler said she had kissed all four of her children as they left for school that morning but added: “One of them never came home.
“I received a telephone call from a stranger telling me my daughter had been stabbed. Those words play on repeat in my head.”
Ms Trussler said she “raced” to the scene in her car and was imagining the “worst things” as she travelled to reach her daughter.
She added: “I never imagined how horrific the scene would be. It was far worse than the worst case scenario.
“The enormity and severity cannot be put into words.”
Ms Trussler said: “I was stopped from seeing my daughter in the alleyway and in the ambulance due to the horrifying condition she was in.
“The last time I saw my daughter was that morning, I never saw her with her eyes open again. I never heard her last words.
“My daughter died not knowing her mam was by her side.
“My daughter’s last moments were taken away from her, brutally, painfully and without her loving family.
“Once at hospital I was unable to even touch my daughter or hug her, kiss her or hold her hand.
“My daughter was a crime scene, she was evidence.”
Ms Trussler said Macphail had been welcomed into her home, as her daughter’s first ever boyfriend and he was always “mild mannered and polite” and they seemed happy together.
But she said MacPhail’s visit to her home the night before the murder, when he was refused access, has left her chilled with thoughts of what could have happened to the family if he had got in.
Ms Trussler said she is unhappy that people under 16 cannot be formally recognised as victims of domestic abuse and hopes that is something that can change.
She added: “I fully believe if he couldn’t have Holly then no-one else could.
“He became obsessed with her.”
Ms Trussler said she is “chilled to the core” at the footage and the idea of him following Holly around before he carried out the killing and branded his attempts to evade justice as “farcical”.
She added: “I love my child so much, my heart aches without her.”
Ms Trussler said she does not want any other family to suffer the trauma hers has and she has started raising money for bleed boxes.
She added that her daughter may have had access to support if young people were recognised as domestic abuse victims and said: “Holly’s case is labeled as knife crime but I want people to know the truth.
“Teenagers should be taught about healthy relationships in schools and domestic abuse services offered at a younger age.
“Maybe then she would have recognised red flags.
“Things have got to change.”
Ms Trussler said Holly should have been doing her GCSEs and preparing for prom then going on to perhaps marry and have children of her own.
She added: “It’s more than one life lost that night, our hearts also stopped.”
Moments later, he approached Holly at a bus stop who was unaware MacPhail had brought a kitchen knife from home with him.
Staff at the pizza restaurant heard Holly screaming and rushed out to find him attacking her.
They managed to “forcibly” remove MacPhail, who claimed the schoolgirl had been “horrible” or “awful” to him.
He then added: “Oh what have I done?”
Holly was taken to hospital after suffering 36 injuries – including 12 stab wounds and 19 slash injuries – in less than a minute.
MacPhail stabbed the teen so savagely he broke the knife, with Holly also suffering injuries as she desperately tried to defend herself.
Tragically she couldn’t be saved and was declared dead shortly after the horror.
In chilling bodycam footage, MacPhail told police as he was arrested: “She was being too horrible to me.
“I was meant to kill myself but it went too far.”
MacPhail previously admitted manslaughter but denied murder on the basis his mind “went blank” during the attack.
He also pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent and an alternative charge of wounding after one of Holly’s male friends was injured while trying to help her.
Stalking is still a form of domestic abuse - here's how to get help
By Sophie Francis-Cansfield, Head of Policy at Women’s Aid
“While domestic abuse can be associated with adult relationships, it is a prevalent issue in the romantic relationships of young people too. Data from the Office of National Statistics last year, found that a shocking 1 in 4 girls will have experienced domestic abuse before they are 16 years old.
“Many forms of abuse, such as stalking or controlling behaviour, will be experienced without the young person even knowing. Sharing locations, constantly checking in, and other red flags can often be romanticised, with younger people thinking they are a sign of trust or care instead of signs of abuse.
“It is important that we talk to young people about domestic abuse, so they are aware of the warning signs, can understand what is not acceptable in a relationship, and know what support options are available to them if they are in an unhealthy relationship or experiencing abuse.
“If you’re a young person and think you may have experienced abuse or something doesn’t feel right in your relationship, know that you are not alone.
“Women’s Aid is here to listen and to support you without judgment. Our LoveRespect is also a website specifically designed for 14-25-year-olds to learn about healthy relationships and explore support options.”
During his evidence, MacPhail claimed was not an entirely bad person as he “helps baby birds and stuff”.
But jurors saw through his lies and he was convicted of murder and wounding with intent.
Following the verdict, Micala described how her “beautiful child” loved sport, animals and dancing.
She added: “As my first born she was a clingy child and never left my side, we did everything together.
“She grew into a funny and happy teenager who would do anything for anyone.
“Holly was passionate about her family; she hated upsetting people and would do anything to make people smile.
“She loved animals, her cat Maxi every morning would go to her bedroom door and meow until Holly got up to let him onto her bed, to this day Maxi still does this however Holly isn’t there to open the door.”
Anyone affected by this story can contact the National Stalking Trust on 0808 802 0300