Snared by his own mother's CCTV: Alesha MacPhail's killer, 16, was caught

Snared by his own mother's CCTV: Alesha MacPhail's killer, 16, was caught on camera as he came home an hour after brutally raping and murdering six-year-old then dumping her naked body in the woods

Aaron Campbell received anonymity over murder of Alesha MacPhail but judge has now overturned this
Rape, murder and abduction of six-year-old girl was among 'wickedest' crimes that court had ever heard
Campbell, 16, from the Isle of Bute, appears to be obsessed with who subscribes to his YouTube channel
His mother believed he might be able to help with the probe and contacted police after reviewing CCTV
The depraved 16-year-old boy who raped and murdered Alesha MacPhail was caught out by his own mother's CCTV as he came home in the middle of the night after killing the six-year-old girl, it emerged today.

Chilling footage revealed Aaron Campbell arriving and leaving twice outside his Isle of Bute family home on the night Alesha was abducted before her naked body was dumped in the woods with 117 injuries on July 2 last year.

His mother believed her teenage son might have seen something relevant to the investigation - and contacted police after reviewing the CCTV footage, despite her son being adamant he had nothing to do with the 'barbaric and wicked' murder on the Scottish holiday island.

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Depraved teenager Aaron Campbell, 16, enjoyed playing violent video games including Fortnite and Slender: The Eight Pages
The cat-torturing, adrenaline junkie teenager - who was obsessed with gaining YouTube followers, playing violent video games such as Fortnite and recording himself performing acrobatic moves on a trampoline - had received anonymity due to his age, but a judge unmasked him today.

Campbell even filmed himself playing a game about internet horror meme the Slender Man. Fictional stories about the supernatural character - famed for abducting and killing children then dumping them in the woods - bear a chilling resemblance to what Campbell did to 'little angel' Alesha.

The murderer - who was also known to have killed and skinned cats before burying them in the back garden - appears to be egotistical and obsessed with the number of people who subscribed to his YouTube channel.
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Campbell was caught on his mother's CCTV arriving at his Isle of Bute family home on the night Alesha MacPhail was killed
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The teenager was then seen jumping over the fence outside the property just under ten minutes later when he left the house
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Campbell, 16, arrived home again at 3.52am but was caught on CCTV cameras running away from the house six minutes later
In the CCTV, he was first spotted leaving the family home at 1.54am, when he went to the MacPhails' home and took Alesha out of bed before raping and murdering her. He was then seen returning home at 3.35am.

Ten minutes later he left home wearing a pair of shorts but no shirt or shoes. He came back at 3.52am and then left again six minutes later carrying a torch. Campbell then arrived home for the last time at 4.07am. 'It emerged during the trail that Alesha's father was watching porn on the night she was abducted, and that he sold cannabis to her killer, whose circle of friends routinely used drugs and cheap booze and swapped sick jokes on Snapchat.

Alesha's murderer was born on the mainland but when he reached school age his mother, who has family connections on the island, brought him to live there because – ironically – she thought it would provide him with a secure upbringing.

'I wanted him to grow up in a safe place, a peaceful environment, and get a good education,' she said at the family home, a solid Victorian house with panoramic views of the Firth and extensive gardens where the killer and his friends would drink and smoke cannabis.

'They said in court that he was depressed but I never saw any signs of depression. He would get down now and again but he was doing well.

'He had passed some exams and he was doing an engineering course one day a week. He was good at maths, and planned to go to university.

'He wasn't a violent boy. He was very normal. Yes, he smoked cannabis, but it's rife among kids on this island.

'I knew he was buying it from Rab [Alesha's father] and Toni [Rab's girlfriend], but what could I do? If I went to the police my son would be in trouble.

'I just hoped he'd grow out of it. Anyway, it wasn't every weekend. It was only occasionally.'
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A pair of jogging bottoms found on Rothesay beach by police during the search for Alesha MacPhail. DNA matching the murderer was recovered from the waistband
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A knife found on Rothesay beach by police during the search for Alesha last July
Mr Graham said: 'The incriminee enjoyed no statutory protection and was named and photographed and had her photographs published.

'He has introduced the issue of sexual involvement with the incriminee. By the very nature of that defence and by finding him party to that defence, the pannel has introduced to the trial adult themes.'

No appeal was lodged by Campbell's defence, Brian McConnachie QC. But the brief told the court that Campbell was 'at risk of attack'.

Mr McConnachie said: 'There was a history of self-harm, of anxiety and he had been tested for ADHD and was awaiting further testing due at the time of his arrest.

'As far as he's concerned, there's issues both with attack from others and the potential matter of self-harm. The onus is on the party seeking to have the prohibition lifted and to satisfy the court.'

Media lawyer Mr Graham said: 'It's naive to think he remains anonymous on Bute, a community in no little part affected by this.'

And he said Campbell would be locked up at HMYOI Polmont in Falkirk until he was 21. Judge Lord Matthews told the court: 'Children don't usually commit offences of this nature.'

Mr Graham concurred and said: 'It's unusual for a child to be convicted of murder.'

He urged for Campbell's name, his address, his images, school and 'such background which is not protected otherwise' should be allowed to be published.

Granting the application, Lord Matthews said: 'I intend to name the accused.'

The media outlets represented were Associated Newspapers, BBC Scotland, Sky, News UK & Ireland, Newsquest, Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail, and STV.