A 16-year-old boy accused of abducting, raping and murdering Alesha has blamed a woman for the murder.
The teenager's legal team, led by Brian McConnachie QC, have lodged a special defence, naming Toni McLachlan as the killer.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, goes on trial in Glasgow on Tuesday, 12 February.
The #murder #trial of #AleshaMacPhail, 6 yoa, #IsleofBute https://t.co/pcHsX2ELSR pic.twitter.com/WgNf9kRX1S
— LoveLockTaz (@lock_taz) 11 February 2019
He pleaded not guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday, 11 February during a brief hearing during which no evidence was heard.
Prosecutor Iain McSporran QC claims the boy, armed with a knife, abducted Alesha from a bed at her grandmother Angela King's house in the town of Rothesay, took her to a derelict spa hotel, stripped her, shook her violently and smothered her.
The court heard he "applied pressure" to her face, before raping and murdering her.
Jury sworn in at trial of 16 year-old male accused of murdering & raping 6 yr-old #Alesha MacPhail on Isle of Bute last year. He’s lodged special defence blaming a 19 year-old woman
— James Matthews (@jamesmatthewsky) 11 February 2019
He faces a separate charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Alesha was found at 8.54am on 2 July in the grounds of the former Kyles Hydropathic Hotel and she was declared dead half an hour later.
The judge, Lord Matthews, warned the jury the case was likely to "arouse strong emotion" but urged them to adopt a "professional detachment" to the evidence.
The trial is expected to begin hearing evidence on Tuesday.
