A jealous ex-boyfriend has been jailed for 17 years for murdering 15-year-old Holly Newton after he stalked her and stabbed her to death in January 2023.
Logan Macphail, 17, who was unhappy about their break-up, followed her through a Northumberland market town when she finished classes for the day.
He lured her into an alleyway and murdered her after inflicting 36 separate injuries on the young girl. Macphail was sentenced to a minimum term of 17 years in jail at Newcastle Crown Court today.
Chilling CCTV footage shows Macphail, who was wearing a hat, arrive in Hexham on the afternoon of the killing and put on a face covering before following Holly and her friends around unseen for 45 minutes.
One heartbreaking video shows the teen in conversation with the killer at a bus stop, shortly before he lured her to the alleyway, where he repeatedly stabbed her with the knife he had been carrying around.
One heartbreaking video shows the teen in conversation with the killer at a bus stop, shortly before he lured her to the alleyway, where he repeatedly stabbed her with the knife he had been carrying around
Jealous ex-boyfriend Logan Macphail has been jailed for murdering 15-year-old Holly Newton after he stalked her and stabbed her to death in January 2023.
Holly Newton, 15, was stabbed to death in a vicious attack by her ex-boyfriend Logan MacPhail (then 16) after she ended their 18-month relationship
He lured her into an alleyway and murdered her after inflicting 36 separate injuries on the young girl
Macphail, who had been unhappy about their break-up, has been ordered to spend 17 years behind bars for her murder before he can apply for parole.
Mr Justice Hilliard said the sentence is not a ‘measure of Holly’s life’ and added: ‘That is beyond measure, nor can it begin to put right what you have done, that is not possible, it cannot be undone.’
Macphail was told even after he has served the minimum term he will only be released ‘when safe to do so’.
Holly’s heartbroken mum has said her daughter loved dancing, animals, particularly her pet cat, and is deeply loved and missed by her grieving family.
She added: ‘It’s more than one life lost that night, our hearts also stopped.’
Macphail had denied murdering Holly and wounding with intent, in relation to a boy who tried to intervene, but was found guilty by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
The injured boy, who was stabbed multiple times and suffered injury to his thigh, neck and shoulder, said his studies and work prospects have been affected by what happened that day.
He said in a statement, which he read in court himself: ‘What happened to me I wouldn’t wish upon anyone and I can’t imagine what Holly’s family are going through now.
‘Whatever sentence Logan gets isn’t going to change what happened that day.’
The judge commended the teen, and passers by who tried to help Holly, for their bravery on that day.
During the trial, prosecutor David Brooke KC told the court Holly and Macphail had been a couple but had recently split and added: ‘It is clear from the evidence that he was very unhappy about the break-up.
‘Logan Macphail travelled that Friday from Gateshead to Hexham where Holly Newton went to school. He had been to school that day in Gateshead. He told his teacher at lunchtime that he was very tired and wanted to go home.
‘He was allowed to leave and left at 1.30pm. However, instead of going home Logan Macphail caught a bus to the Metrocentre and then another bus to Hexham arriving at 3pm.
‘He then walked a short way to a park called Sele Park which is in the direction of the school.’
The court was told Holly was also heading in the direction of the park in the company of two other male friends she had met up with.
Chilling CCTV footage shows Macphail, who was wearing a hat, arrive in Hexham on the afternoon of the killing and put on a face covering before following Holly and her friends
He followed them undetected for 45 minutes
The 17-year-old killer can be seen arriving at Hexham after getting off the bus
MacPhail, wearing a mask and hat, is pictured approaching Holly as she stands at a bus stop looking at her phone
Macphail spotted the group and began to follow them from a distance for around 45 minutes without being seen.
Mr Brooke told jurors by this point one of the males had left but Holly remained with a 16-year-old boy and the pair made their way to a pizza shop where they ordered food.
He added: ‘Logan Macphail hid for a bit further up the road but then walked down to where Holly Newton was waiting outside the Pizza shop.
‘Holly Newton was not at all happy about seeing him.
‘For quite a few minutes Logan Macphail sat on a seat at the bus stop and eventually Holly Newton agreed to speak to him in an alleyway next to the pizza shop.
‘What Holly Newton didn’t know was that Logan Macphail had brought a knife with him.
‘The other male says that he heard Holly Newton’s screams from the alley.
‘He ran into the alley. He says he did not at first fully understand what was happening but he could see that Logan Macphail was attacking her.
‘He saw Holly on the ground and pulled him off in a headlock but he was then attacked himself and also received stab injuries.
‘He then ran for help to the pizza shop next to the alleyway.
‘There were passers-by and people in the shop who also went to stop Macphail. He was pulled off Holly while still stabbing her.’
Mr Brooke said the knife being used by the defendant broke in the attack.
Holly was taken by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle but despite all efforts to safe her, she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Macphail told cops it was Holly’s idea to talk in the alleyway and that she had been ‘horrible’ to him.
Mr Brooke told the court: ‘Then he said his mind went blank. The next thing he remembered was being on top of Holly Newton. He admitted having the knife in his hand.’
Mr Brooke said 12 of Holly’s injuries were stab wounds, 19 others were caused by a ‘slashing motion’ and five were to her hands, where she had tried to stop the attack.
Footage shows the killer on a bus to Hexham on the day of the attack. He was so consumed with jealousy that he stabbed her to death when he saw her walking in town with another boy
Holly suffered 36 injuries from the attack with a kitchen knife MacPhail had brought with him
Mr Justice Hilliard told Logan Macphail: ‘You wanted to get Holly into the alleyway, which was out of sight, so you would have the best opportunity to attack her without anyone intervening.
‘I am satisfied you had decided to attack Holly because you knew for sure, from her reactions at the bus stop, she was not open to any suggestion of resuming the relationship.
‘You were filled with resentment and jealously but still able to calculate where you could best attack her and you waited until you got that opportunity.
‘You managed to persuade her to come a little further into the alleyway, waited until one passerby had gone on his way and then took the knife out of your pocket and launched an attack on her which was vicious and brutal.’
The judge said Holly had knife injuries, that were inflicted with severe force, to her jaw, skull, back bone and shoulder during the murder on January 27 2023.
Justice Hilliard added: ‘Stabbing her head in that way was a terrible thing to do.
‘Holly’s mother was stopped from seeing her in the alley and ambulance because of the horrifying condition she was in.
‘The force you used was so great that the knife broke and the blade was bent out of shaped.
‘The pathologist said seeing a knife so damaged was incredibly rare.
‘I am sure you intended to kill her and you knew how final death was.’
The judge said it is likely Macphail had the knife with him that day to scare Holly by harming himself and formed the intention to attack her when it became clear their relationship would not be resumed, just before the killing.
Justice Hilliard added: ‘She was entitled to break off the relationship if she wanted to and spend time with whoever else she chose.
Macphail told cops it was Holly’s idea to talk in the alleyway and that she had been ‘horrible’ to him
Holly’s mother Micala Trussler said she was unable to hug her in hospital because her body had become ‘a crime scene’
‘The fact the motivation for the murder was resentment towards Holly for ending the relationship and jealously for the fact she was spending time with another boy makes the case more serious.
‘I acknowledge a more mature person would have handled such a situation in a better way.’
Justice Hilliard said the murder was ‘vicious and brutal’ and told Macphail: ‘You lured Holly into the alleyway in order to attack her out of sight.
‘In addition, Holly was a child.
‘Although you were not an adult, she was no match for you armed with a knife.
‘She must have realised before she died, I’m afraid, that she was fighting for her life.
‘You made the decision to stab a 15-year-old girl to death with a knife which you were carrying, unlawfully in a public pace, having followed her in secret around town for an hour, all because your relationship with her had ended and you were jealous of the thought she might see someone else.
‘What happened in this case should not have happened to any child or parent and no child or parent should be in fear that it might happen.’