Two teenagers who murdered 16-year-old Brianna Ghey in a park in Cheshire in February 2023 have been given life sentences. Scarlett Jenkinson was ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years, while Eddie Ratcliffe was detained for at least 20 years. The pair, who were 15 at the time of the killing and are now 16, showed no visible reaction as the sentences were handed down at Manchester Crown Court.
Mrs Justice Yip described the murder as “brutal, planned and sadistic,” noting that Brianna suffered 28 stab wounds. The judge said Jenkinson was motivated by a “deep desire to kill,” while Ratcliffe’s actions were partly driven by hostility towards Brianna’s transgender identity. Messages sent by Ratcliffe were described as “transphobic and dehumanising.”
In a victim impact statement read in court, Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, said the killers would always “pose a danger to society” and expressed relief that they would not have the opportunity to carry out their “sadistic fantasies” on another child. Brianna’s sister, Alisha Ghey, said she now struggles to trust new people, as it was “Brianna’s friend who she trusted who ended her life.”
Brianna’s father, Peter Spooner, said being the father of a transgender child had been difficult, but he was proud to have gained a “beautiful daughter.” He added that the murderers had stolen the chance to build their relationship. Her stepfather, Wesley Powell, described the killers as “two predators stalking their prey,” who preyed on Brianna’s vulnerability.
In a statement to the Warrington Guardian, Jenkinson’s family expressed sorrow to Brianna’s family and said their lives had been left “in turmoil.” They thanked Esther Ghey for her “incredible selflessness and empathy” and agreed with the sentences. The trial heard that both teenagers had a fascination with violence and torture, and encouraged each other’s murderous fantasies.
