'My daughter was stabbed to death by her ex - I couldn't even hold her hand as she died'

A grieving mother has shared how she could not hold the hand of her teenage daughter after she was murdered by her obsessed ex-boyfriend - as she was a “crime scene”

, now 17, stabbed 15-year-old 36 times in an alleyway after stalking her for an hour through Hexham, Northumberland, in January 2023. He was convicted following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Today, at the first day of his sentencing hearing at Newcastle crown court, Holly’s mother Micala Trussler read out her moving victim statement in the courtroom, watched by MacPhail via a videolink. Mrs Trussler, a mother-of-four, said: “The enormity and severity cannot be put into words. I was stopped from seeing my daughter in the alleyway and the ambulance due to the horrifying condition she was in.

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“My daughter died not knowing her mam was by her side. Once at hospital, I was unable to even touch my daughter, hug her, kiss her or hold her hand. My daughter was a crime scene, she was evidence.”

Her mother described MacPhail as mild-mannered and polite during his regular visits to their home in Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Things changed when Holly matured and decided to end the relationship, her mother said.

She 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.

Mrs Trussler is raising money in her daughter’s memory to buy trauma boxes to help save lives of people at risk of bleeding to death and also wants teenagers to learn more about identifying toxic relationships.

On the first day of a 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 said: “He was perfectly able to make rational choices.”

MacPhail was convicted of murder, as well as wounding with intent on a boy who stepped in to try to stop the attack. 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.

MacPhail denied murder but admitted manslaughter, claiming he blacked out, but his story was rejected by the jury. Nigel Edwards KC, defending, said MacPhail’s progress since he has been in secure accommodation was “meteoric”.

The judge agreed, saying: “I am aware he has undoubtedly made progress whilst (there).

“He has probably found out that he has got abilities that he didn’t realise that he had before, he has attended his education and he has formed good relationships with members of staff.

“These are the things that going forwards he has got to build on.”

Mr Justice Hilliard will pass sentence on Friday.