The 15-year-old was killed by her ex-boyfriend Logan MacPhail after he stalked her through town and knifed her 36 times in an alleyway in January 2023.
MacPhail, who was 16 at the time of the attack, was convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August and was detained for life with a minimum term of 17 years in early November.
Since then, Holly’s parents have campaigned to change the law so that under-16s can be considered victims of domestic abuse, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper previously saying she would consider how the law would apply.
Now, the Prime Minister has addressed the tragic case after taking questions at the despatch box in the House of Commons on Wednesday (January 15).
Holly Newton (Image: Northumbria Police)
He said he was “grateful” to address the topic after the town’s Labour MP Joe Morris said: “Will the Prime Minister and Home Secretary look urgently at the calls from Holly’s mother Micala Trussler to lower the age that a person can be recognised as a victim of domestic abuse?”
Sir Keir replied: “Can I thank (Mr Morris) for raising this tragic case it is a really important issue.
Sir Keir Starmer (Image: PA)
“We’ve seen an increase in violence in teenage relationships in the last decade and I’ve been continually shocked by research that shows that at a younger and younger age, there’s abuse in relationships.
“So we do need to look at this at the earliest opportunity to how we properly protect girls, but I’m very grateful this tragic case has been raised.”
According to Mr Justice Hilliard, MacPhail, of Birtley in Gateshead, was not able to accept that his 18-month relationship with Holly was over and launched the attack when he was “filled with resentment and jealousy but still able to calculate” where to murder her.
MacPhail travelled from Gateshead armed with a kitchen knife on the day of the attack, before following Holly and her friends for around 45 minutes who were unaware of his presence.
As Holly and the boy visited a takeaway, he then approached her and asked if she would talk with him in a nearby alleyway – and after following him, MacPhail launched his attack.
Logan MacPhail (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)
He was arrested and charged overnight with Holly’s murder, and later with grievous bodily harm with intent against a 16-year-old boy who intervened during the ordeal.
MacPhail had previously admitted manslaughter and possession of a bladed article but denied murder and grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was found guilty by a jury after the six-week trial.
In UK law, domestic abuse can take place only when two people personally connected to each other are aged 16 or over.
When it prepared the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the Home Office said it wanted to maintain the age limit.
Recommended reading:
Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Click here.
“We do not want to risk blurring the lines between domestic abuse and child abuse,” it wrote in a policy paper, adding: “In 2012, following a public consultation, the age limit in the cross-government definition of domestic abuse was lowered from 18 to 16, to recognise that young people can experience abuse in their relationships.”
Ms Cooper has previously said the Government “will particularly, specifically look at this, because we need to make sure that we have got the right ways of recording this kind of violence in teenage relationships”.
Mrs Trussler had previously described “a lot of controlling behaviour going on” in an interview with broadcasters ahead of MacPhail’s sentencing.