Prosecutors have told a jury that a teenage girl fatally stabbed another during a pre-planned street confrontation over a boy. Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, was brought by her boyfriend Blake Dowling, 18, to the home of his former girlfriend Kayla Smith, who inflicted the fatal wounds, a court heard.
Dowling's mother revealed that her son and Smith had ended their relationship two years prior, but she had grown "jealous and obsessed" over his romance with Chloe. Jurors were informed that Smith threatened to stab Chloe during a phone call after discovering she was with Dowling on March 27 this year.
Fight Arranged and Taxi Booked
The pair agreed to meet for a fight, and Dowling arranged a taxi to transport Chloe to Smith's home in the Austhorpe area of Leeds in the early hours of March 28, the court heard. Prosecutor Mark McKone KC told the court that Smith emerged from a summer house in her grandfather's garden, where she resided, accompanied by her friend Archie Rycroft, 20.
The court was told Smith approached Chloe armed with a knife and stabbed her five times in the neck and back. Smith has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. Dowling and Rycroft, who stands accused of filming the attack, both deny murder and manslaughter.
Background of Threats and Arguments
Opening proceedings at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr McKone stated that Dowling had been romantically involved with both Smith and Chloe, and "knew of the bad feeling" between them. During a police interview played in court, one of Chloe's friends stated that Dowling had been "on and off" with Chloe and Smith "all the time", with the two girls "constantly arguing over him".
The court was told that throughout the night and early hours preceding the altercation, Dowling was with Chloe at his mother's residence but had maintained communication with Smith. Mr McKone stated Smith made persistent threats via telephone to stab Chloe.
Charlotte Parker, a friend of Dowling's mother who was present in the property at the time, testified she overheard Chloe telling Smith during the call: "I'm not scared of you, I'm sick of you threatening me, you still dying over Blake, sending him messages that you still love him." Ms Parker stated she heard Smith "screaming" down the line: "I'm gonna stab you, you little slag speaking about my dead baby."
Final Messages and CCTV Evidence
The court was informed that approximately two hours prior to Chloe's death, Smith messaged Dowling stating: "Listen, I love you Blake. I will never find someone that I love like you. Please stop." A friend of Chloe's who was on Facetime with her that evening testified she heard Dowling answering his telephone and heard Smith screaming: "Blake I'm gonna smash your head in... you better not be with no girls... Chloe better not be there."
When Chloe confirmed that she was present, the witness heard Smith say: "I'm gonna stab you in your throat." The court heard that Chloe messaged her friend saying she was "off to go fight Kayla" and a picture of herself in the taxi.
Mr McKone stated that CCTV footage showed Smith departing her summer house at 5.10am dressed in pyjamas, "striding quickly" with her right hand raised and clutching something shiny. Ring doorbell footage screened in court captured Smith shouting: "Come on, big girl". Prosecutors claim Smith can subsequently be heard saying: "Come on then, I will stab you."
Aftermath and Arrests
The stabbing itself was not recorded on the doorbell footage, though jurors were informed that a male could be heard laughing. Rycroft was visible in the footage walking behind Smith while holding a mobile phone. Mr McKone stated: "It is the prosecution case that Rycroft recorded the stabbing on Kayla's phone and that Kayla must have handed him her phone for this purpose."
The court was told that a video had been deleted from the handset and has never been retrieved. Following the stabbing, Smith and Rycroft fled back to Smith's home. CCTV footage captured at 5.12am, approximately one minute after the stabbing, shows Smith and Rycroft alongside Smith's grandfather Geoff Smith outside the summer house.
Geoff Smith is heard declaring "I'm ringing the police" to which Smith responds: "You can't ring the police, she's dead". Geoff Smith called for an ambulance 37 minutes after the stabbing, and was witnessed by a neighbour carrying out CPR on Chloe on the footpath. The court heard that Chloe was conveyed by ambulance to hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6.40am.
Upon their arrest, Smith and Rycroft were "laughing and joking" with two of their friends and inhaling nitrous oxide in front of officers, Mr McKone told the court. Mr McKone stated that Dowling denied any knowledge that Chloe would be caused really serious harm, while Rycroft claimed he followed Smith out of curiosity and failed to notice she was carrying a knife.
The court was told that Smith acknowledges stabbing Chloe and inflicting the fatal wound, but disputes any intention to kill her or cause her really serious harm. Mr McKone said: "The prosecution say that Blake Dowling played a part in organising the violence. Blake Dowling assisted and encouraged Kayla Smith to be violent to (Chloe) by taking (her) to the scene for the specific purpose of a fight." He informed jurors that Rycroft "deliberately encouraged Kayla Smith to be violent by walking with (her) to the fight, and by trying to film (her) using violence and by providing support if needed". The trial continues.
