Two 16-year-olds have been convicted of the murder of Brianna Ghey, a transgender teenager who was stabbed 28 times in a park in Warrington. The jury at Manchester Crown Court returned unanimous guilty verdicts after four hours and 40 minutes of deliberation.
The defendants, referred to as Girl X and Boy Y due to reporting restrictions, showed no reaction as the verdicts were read. The judge, Mrs Justice Yip, said she would impose life sentences but adjourned for reports to determine minimum terms. She will decide next month whether to lift restrictions on naming the killers.
Brianna's mother, Esther Ghey, urged empathy for the killers' parents, stating they had also lost a child. The court heard that the murder was planned over WhatsApp, with the teenagers discussing various potential victims before targeting Brianna. Boy Y referred to her as 'prey' and 'it' in messages.
Senior investigating officer Nigel Parr described the killing as 'senseless', motivated by an obsession with murder. The pair were disturbed by a dog walker and fled the scene on 11 February. Forensic evidence, including blood on a hunting knife found in Boy Y's bedroom, linked them to the crime.
During the trial, the defendants blamed each other. Girl X initially claimed Brianna had left with someone else, while Boy Y said he was urinating and turned to see X stabbing her. The jury was told they did not need to decide which one inflicted the fatal wounds to convict on joint enterprise.
Vigils were held for Brianna, whose death caused particular sorrow in the transgender community. Cheshire police maintained they did not believe she was targeted for her gender identity. The case has highlighted concerns about the influence of violent online content on young people.
