The girlfriend of the dad of murdered Alesha MacPhail was said to be "jealous" of the six-year-old, a trial has heard.

Witness Lynsey Calderwood said Toni McLachlan didn't like the idea of the youngster staying with her and the child's dad Robert MacPhail.

She said Toni was threatened by the attention given to Alesha by her dad despite saying she loved the child a lot.

Ms Calderwood received a missed call from Toni saying Alesha went missing.

The pair then searched for the youngster before Toni is said to have had a "bad feeling" about the accused.

A 16-year-old boy has been accused of the abduction, rape and murder of Alesha.

He claimed Alesha's dad's girlfriend, Toni McLachlan, had "murder on her mind", blaming the 19-year-old for the killing.

The charge of the disposing of evidence has been dropped against the teenager.

Alesha was reported missing from her grandparents' home on the Isle of Bute at 6am on July 2 last year.

Her body was found in a wooded area of the island a few hours later.

The teenage murder accused has pleaded not guilty at the High Court in Glasgow.

His legal team, led by QC Brian McConnachie, have lodged a special defence on his behalf, claiming the crime was committed not by him, but by Toni Louise McLachlan - the girlfriend of Robert MacPhail, Alesha's father.

On Wednesday, Ms McLachlan, 18, told the court she had no involvement in the killing, saying she loved Alesha "to pieces".

Prosecutors allege the boy was armed with a knife when he took Alesha from her bed at a house in Ardbeg Road in Rothesay, Bute, on July 2 last year.

It is claimed the boy then carried the schoolgirl to the site of the former Kyles Hydropathic Hotel on the island.

The indictment states he took off Alesha's clothes, shook her violently before placing his hands over her nose, mouth and around her neck.

The boy is said to have "applied pressure" to her face, inflicted injuries by "means unknown" with prosecutors alleging he went on to rape and murder Alesha.

The teenager also faces a separate charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

The trial continues.