A 16-year-old boy has been acquitted of murder and manslaughter following the death of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who died from a single stab wound to the chest at her home in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, on December 15 last year.
Jury Returns Not Guilty Verdicts
On June 25, jurors at Bristol Crown Court exonerated the youth, whose identity is protected due to his age, of both charges. After the verdicts were announced, several members of the public gallery left the courtroom quietly, according to reports from Yorkshire Live.
The boy had admitted taking a knife with a 21cm blade from the kitchen sink and entering the lounge where Aria was seated on the sofa. He told the court he intended to “scare” her and demonstrated ninja-style movements before thrusting the knife as if fencing. He claimed the blade accidentally penetrated Aria, causing the fatal wound.
Details of the Incident
During the trial, the youth stated: “Aria stood up and I was waving around the knife. Then at some point I decided that I was going to try to make her flinch and scare her, to get a reaction. I leaned forward, acted like I was fencing.” He said Aria was directly in front of him, and “the knife went into her. Then I pulled it out. I didn’t know what to do. She put her hand to her chest.”
Aria collapsed face-down on the ground. The boy admitted he thought she had died, panicked, and ran to the kitchen to put the knife back in the sink. He did not attend to her, alert neighbours, or call an ambulance. Instead, he went to Worle railway station, where he told a group of youngsters he had accidentally killed Aria.
Aftermath and Arrest
His mobile phone had been confiscated by his mother, so he used another boy’s device at the station to search online for “what happens if you kill..” A girl present dialled 999, and police arrived swiftly. The boy boarded a train, but officers prevented it from leaving the platform and arrested him. When asked about his emotional state, he replied: “I felt horrible.”
Home Office pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery testified that Aria died from a solitary stab wound penetrating her heart, measuring between 7.5 and 8cm in depth. She said Aria would have died “very swiftly.”
Events Leading to the Stabbing
On the day of her death, Aria attended school and was picked up from an after-school dance class by her mother, Tori Hull, around 4.30pm. They bought mini-pizzas and toppings, which they prepared together at home. Ms Hull then left for an evening work shift, leaving Aria watching YouTube videos. Family friend Ollie Sheppard, who was staying at the property, returned from work around 6pm, found Aria collapsed on the living room floor, and called 999. Police and paramedics arrived, but Aria was pronounced dead at 6.58pm.
