The 16-year-old accused of murdering Alesha MacPhail has told a jury he did not kill the child.
The teenager also denied abducting and raping the six-year-old, who had been holidaying on the Isle of Bute.
The boy, who cannot be named because he is under 18, told the High Court trial: “I have never met Alesha MacPhail.”
The body of the schoolgirl, who died from significant pressure being applied to her face and neck, was discovered in a wooded area on 2 July last year.
Alesha, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, was only days into a summer break in Rothesay when she was killed.
At the High Court in Glasgow, the teenager has lodged a special defence claiming the crime was committed by 18-year-old Toni McLachlan, the girlfriend of the victim’s father.
The trial has heard the accused’s claims that he had sex with Ms McLachlan, who then planted his DNA – from a used condom – at the scene.
In previous evidence, Ms McLachlan insisted she did not have sex with the accused and had nothing to do with Alesha’s death.
The boy was called as the first witness for the defence after the prosecution closed its case.
What the trial has heard so far
Why is the BBC not naming the accused?
It is illegal in Scotland to publish the name, address, school or any other information which could identify anyone under the age of 18 who is the accused, victim or witness in a criminal case
This law applies to social media as well as to websites, newspapers and TV and radio programmes.
However, the name of victims who have died can be published – so the BBC and other outlets are able to identify Alesha MacPhail.
How can an accused blame someone else for the crime?
Ahead of their trial, the accused can lodge a special defence such as self-defence (they were defending themselves from attack), alibi (they were somewhere else when the crime was committed) and mental disorder (the accused is not responsible for their actions because they were suffering from a psychiatric condition).
In this case, the accused has lodged a special defence of incrimination, which means he has claimed that someone else (Toni McLachlan) was responsible.
However, the Crown must still prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. There is no onus on the accused to prove their special defence is true, and he or she can still be acquitted even if the jury does not believe their special defence.
Content provided by the BBC. Original piece can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-47291956
