A 16-year-old boy has been found not guilty of the murder and manslaughter of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who died from a single stab wound at her home in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, on 15 December last year.
During the trial at Bristol Crown Court, the prosecution argued that the boy deliberately stabbed Aria, intending to kill or cause serious harm. However, the defendant claimed it was an accident, stating he was trying to scare her by waving a kitchen knife and lunging forward as if fencing. He said he did not intend to kill or cause serious injury.
In her summing up, Mrs Justice O’Farrell described the case as “tragic and shocking”, noting that the boy accepted stabbing Aria but maintained it was an accident. The jury cleared him of both murder and manslaughter.
After the incident, the boy walked to a nearby train station, told a group of children he had killed Aria accidentally, and searched online for “what happens if you kill …”. He was arrested shortly after boarding a train. Aria’s mother, Tori Hull, had left her watching YouTube videos after collecting her from a dance class and going shopping.
Detective Inspector Neil Meade of Avon and Somerset Police praised Aria’s family for their courage and reminded the public that legal restrictions prevent the boy from being named due to his age.
