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

The parent of murdered 15-year-old Holly Newton, who was stabbed 36 times successful an alleyway, has told a sentencing proceeding however she could not beryllium with her girl erstwhile she died

A grieving parent has shared however she could not clasp the manus of her teenage girl aft she was murdered by her obsessed ex-boyfriend - arsenic she was a “crime scene”

Logan MacPhail, present 17, stabbed 15-year-old Holly Newton 36 times successful an alleyway aft stalking her for an hr done Hexham, Northumberland, successful January 2023. He was convicted pursuing a proceedings astatine Newcastle Crown Court.

Today, astatine the archetypal time of his sentencing proceeding astatine Newcastle crown court, Holly’s parent Micala Trussler work retired her moving unfortunate connection successful the courtroom, watched by MacPhail via a videolink. Mrs Trussler, a mother-of-four, said: “The enormity and severity cannot beryllium enactment into words. I was stopped from seeing my girl successful the alleyway and the ambulance owed to the horrifying information she was in.

“My girl died not knowing her mam was by her side. Once astatine hospital, I was incapable to adjacent interaction my daughter, hug her, buss her oregon clasp her hand. My girl was a transgression scene, she was evidence.”

Her parent described MacPhail arsenic mild-mannered and polite during his regular visits to their location successful Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Things changed erstwhile Holly matured and decided to extremity the relationship, her parent said.

She believed her girl was the unfortunate of home abuse, though she was nether 16 astatine the time, and was caused affectional turmoil by her ex-partner. He changed her societal media passwords and made her judge helium could hack into her accounts arsenic good arsenic threatening to self-harm.

Mrs Trussler is raising wealth successful her daughter’s representation to bargain trauma boxes to assistance prevention lives of radical astatine hazard of bleeding to decease and besides wants teenagers to larn much astir identifying toxic relationships.

On the archetypal time of a two-day sentencing exercise, determination was treatment astir MacPhail’s learning difficulties, his autism and his culpability. David Brooke KC, prosecuting, pointed retired the teen was capable to get to Haltwhistle from his location successful Gateshead unsocial the nighttime earlier the murder, to travel Holly astir Hexham portion disguised and to prevarication to her astir his whereabouts.

He said: “He was perfectly capable to marque rational choices.”

MacPhail was convicted of murder, arsenic good arsenic wounding with intent connected a lad who stepped successful to effort to halt the attack. MacPhail, who met Holly erstwhile they some attended Army cadets, claimed helium ne'er planned to onslaught her but wanted to usage the weapon to termination himself.

MacPhail denied execution but admitted manslaughter, claiming helium blacked out, but his communicative was rejected by the jury. Nigel Edwards KC, defending, said MacPhail’s advancement since helium has been successful unafraid accommodation was “meteoric”.

The justice agreed, saying: “I americium alert helium has undoubtedly made advancement whilst (there).

“He has astir apt recovered retired that helium has got abilities that helium didn’t realise that helium had before, helium has attended his acquisition and helium has formed bully relationships with members of staff.

“These are the things that going forwards helium has got to physique on.”

Mr Justice Hilliard volition walk condemnation connected Friday.