The family of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who was fatally stabbed in Weston-super-Mare, have described her as 'the most beautiful little soul' as a 15-year-old boy appeared in court charged with her murder.
Aria died from a single stab wound at a property in Lime Close on Monday. A teenage boy, who cannot be named due to his age, appeared via video link at Bristol Crown Court on Friday. He spoke only to confirm his name and did not enter a plea.
Judge Blair KC, the Recorder of Bristol, set a provisional trial date for 15 June next year. The boy is next expected to appear in court on 16 March.
In a statement, Aria's mother's family said: 'She was the most beautiful little soul – happy-go-lucky, full of light, and joy. She loved to sing and dance, and took such pride in dressing up, always wanting to look just like her mummy.'
Aria's father, Tom Thorpe, who lives in Portsmouth, paid a separate tribute, recalling her love of maths and Disneyland, and said: 'It's hard to put into words how devastating it is, our little Aria, that you're up there with the angels looking over us.'
Emergency services were called to the scene just before 6.10pm on Monday, where Aria was pronounced dead. The 15-year-old was arrested shortly after in nearby Worle. His father was in the public gallery at court.
