Two teenagers have been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Brianna Ghey in a 'ferocious' attack at Culcheth Linear Park near Warrington on 11 February. The victim, who was transgender, was stabbed 28 times. The defendants, identified only as girl X and boy Y due to their age, denied murder and blamed each other throughout the four-week trial.
Speaking outside Manchester Crown Court, Brianna's mother Esther Ghey said she had 'lost all sympathy' for the killers, adding that they showed 'not an ounce of remorse'. Her father Peter Spooner described Brianna as 'a beautiful girl to be proud of' whose life had been 'brutally taken away'. The family said she was 'strong, fearless and one of a kind'.
The trial heard both defendants had a fascination with violence, torture and murder. Boy Y had been diagnosed with selective mutism and autism spectrum disorder, and gave evidence via a laptop read out by an intermediary. Detectives described girl X as 'really cruel', having befriended Brianna and 'essentially instigated this attack' as the planner who lured her to the park.
Jurors deliberated for about four hours and 40 minutes before returning the verdicts. The judge, Mrs Justice Yip, agreed to adjourn sentencing for psychological reports but noted she did not expect them to make a 'huge difference' given the case's seriousness. A hearing on Thursday will decide whether the media can publish the defendants' names.
