Alesha MacPhail's killer wants sentence reduced, says 27 years is 'excessive and miscarriage of justice'
The murderer of Alesha MacPhail has filed an appeal against his 27-year sentence calling it 'excessive and a miscarriage of justice'.
The 17-year-old murderer, Aaron Campbell, urged judges to reduce his 27-year jail sentence on the grounds that he is very young.
The mother of the murdered six-year-old has called his appeal 'laughable'.
Campbell had kidnapped 6-year-old Alesha from her bed at her grandparents home located on the Isle of Bute in July last year.
He was then found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow and given a life sentence with a minimum of 27 years.
His appeal took place in front of three judges at the Criminal Appeal Court in Edinburgh, according to Daily Mail.
Alesha's devastated parents Robert MacPhail and Georgina Lochrane were seated in the gallery and watched the appeal.
Campbell's lawyers claimed that his original sentence was "excessive and a miscarriage of justice" given his young age.
Campbell was linked to the courtroom over video and showed no remorse or emotion during the hearing.
After the hearing had ended, Alesha's mother Georgina Lochrane shared that her daughter's killer was "chancing his luck" by trying to appeal his jail sentence.
"We do not have any insight as to what the outcome will be and what will take place, other than our prayers and hopes that our justice system does not fail Alesha or listen to his bullsh**," she wrote in a post on Facebook.
"Claiming he's too young for this sentence it's an actual laughable argument, chancing his luck with everyone now and the system now has a chance to make an example of him and they better grasp it with both hands," she added.
According to Campbell's lawyer, Brian McConnachie, it would be tough and difficult to rehabilitate him as he would be 'middle-aged' by the time he would be considered for release.
"The question of whether he will be released will depend on the view of the Parole Board and upon them reaching a conclusion that it would be safe to release him," he shared.
Alesha had been staying with her family on the island during the summer holidays when she was abducted and killed.
Judge Lady Scott said that a decision on the appeal would be given in writing soon.