Judge names ‘jealous’ teenage killer in interests of open justice

A “jealous” teenager who stabbed his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend to death in the street after stalking her because he could not accept their relationship was over can now be named.

A judge lifted a reporting restriction which prevented the media from saying that Logan MacPhail, now 17, had been convicted of murdering Holly Newton in Hexham, Northumberland, in January 2023.

Previous reports could only refer anonymously to the juvenile defendant who stalked Holly as she walked around the town centre with friends before he launched a frenzied attack in an alleyway, stabbing or slashing her 36 times with a kitchen knife he had taken from home.

MacPhail was convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August, but the reporting restriction prevented the media from saying the attacker was Holly’s ex-boyfriend, because publishing that could lead to him being identified, and he was still a child.

David Brooke KC, prosecuting, said MacPhail deliberately went to Hexham that day, followed Holly around the town centre and was “deeply unhappy” that their 18-month relationship was over.

The prosecution said MacPhail was “jealous” that she was with a new boy.

The night before he murdered Holly, MacPhail travelled more than 40 miles from his home in Gateshead to her house in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, and hung around nearby, before he was taken home by police at 1am.

His concerned mother had phoned the police to say MacPhail, then aged 16, had gone missing.

Holly’s mother, Micala Trussler, was so concerned about MacPhail’s behaviour that she arranged for her daughter not to leave school the next day if he was hanging around.

MacPhail, who has autism and a low IQ, left the special school he attended on Tyneside early and travelled by bus to Hexham, where he followed Holly around before launching his lethal attack near a pizza shop at around 5pm.

Newly-released CCTV shows MacPhail, masked and in a baseball cap, speaking to Holly at a bus stop moments before he killed her.

He was convicted of murder and also the wounding with intent of a boy who bravely tried to save her.

Mr Justice Hilliard lifted the reporting restriction, even though MacPhail will not turn 18 – when such an order would normally lapse – until December this year.

The judge ruled that the public should know the murderer’s identity so as to better understand what happened, particularly in the light of the national debates about knife crime and violence against women.

He said: “The defendant has been convicted of grave crimes which are of local and national concern.

“The defendant went to the victim’s home address against her wishes and later followed her after she had left her school at the end of the day.

“However, at present the public are not aware of a key factor in the case, which is the nature of the relationship between the defendant and his victim.

“They had been in a relationship but she did not wish it to continue.

“This has rightly not been reported lest it might identify him, but it is impossible to have a full and proper understanding of the case and of why the defendant behaved as he did without knowing this factor.

“The defendant’s identity must also be known already within the different communities where he and the victim lived and were at school.

“There is great public concern about murders by young people who have carried knives in public places and about violence to women and girls.

“Legitimate debate is assisted by knowing who has committed such offences and their circumstances and the full detail of the offences in question.

“In my judgment, on the specific facts of this case, there are very strong reasons why, in the interests of open justice, the public should now have a full and proper understanding of such a serious crime and all of the circumstances in which it was committed.”

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.

He denied murder but admitted manslaughter, claiming he blacked out.

Due to the defendant’s learning difficulties, the judge allowed MacPhail to follow much of the trial from the secure accommodation where he has been held.

MacPhail will be sentenced at the end of this month.